Salt Cod al pil-pil with garlic and chilli peppers

This very simple preparation depends on two things: a few perfect ingredients and a sure hand. Once tried, you’ll see how easy it is to get the cod to swirl in the cazuela as the oil and natural gelatin from the skin and bones create a smooth textured sauce, lightly scented with garlic and chilli. The naturally sweet cod, the remnants of the salty sea and smoky chilli pepper combine to exemplify the elegance of Basque cooking.

Note for New Zealand readers: Salt cod as Kate describes is not available in New Zealand unfortunately. However, it is possible and in fact quite easy to create a suitable form of salted fish yourself. Take as much fish as you require (my preference is blue cod, but other white fish such as snapper is suitable too) and wash and dry it well. I usually use skinned and boned fillets, but for this recipe have the cod filleted but leave some bones in and the skin on. Rub the fish generously with sea salt and place on a stainless or plastic rack over a tray. Cover well and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours. The longer you leave it the firmer and dryer the fish will become as the salt draws the moisture out. To de-salt, rinse the fish well under running water and soak in fresh water for 1-2 hours, depending on how long it has been salting. By then it will look like fresh fish again, but with firmer flesh