Dried, Salted & Smoked Fish

Simplest is a dry-salt cure in which the fish, typically cod, is sprinkled with salt and then air-dried. For centuries, salt cod was less expensive than any form of meat except bacon, and therefore was an important part of many national cuisines. Before cooking, salt cod must be soaked in several changes of cold water for from six hours up to two days. Salt cod, known as morue in France and bacalhau in Portugal, is particularly successful in broth soups and stews with vegetables that need salt, such as potatoes or turnips. It can also be dipped in batter and deep-fried, or puréed with mashed potato, garlic and olive oil as in Provençal brandade.