To Soak Salt Cod

Place the pieces in a colander or pasta basket so that the salt that leaches out will run off. Ideally, boned salt cod should be rinsed under cold running water for 12 hours. Since this is impossible for most home cooks, the next best thing to do is to set your colander or pasta basket into a deep pot filled with cold water, and then change this water 3 or 4 times, or until the water no longer has a salty taste, about 18 to 24 hours. Salt cod is not evenly salted, and thus some pieces are more salty than others; this fact will affect the number of times you must change the water. A well-soaked piece of salt cod will sometimes actually require salt in the final dish. The type of salt used to preserve the fish is not particularly good for eating, though the Catalans sprinkle grated, unrinsed dried salt cod on fresh fava beans and radishes to give them a salty flavor.