How to…Prepare Salt Cod

Salt cod, also known as baccala, bacalao or bacalhau, is made by coating whole gutted fish or fillets with a coarse salt to dry and preserve it. When buying salt cod, look for centre cuts of fillet, as these are fatter and more meaty.

To prepare the cod, soak it in cold water for 24–48 hours. After every 3 hours, drain the cod and add fresh water. The salt cod is ready when the fish has plumped up and the water is no longer very salty — test the water by dipping your finger in and tasting it. The cod is now ready to be cooked.