Salt cod is something that has always sounded interesting, but inedible. I always imagined it to be dry and overly salty, which it is when you buy it, but some effort sort of fixes that. One advantage of preserving foods like this is it's ability to happily sit in the fridge or a cupboard until you need it, even if that's a long time after you buy it. It makes sense as salting was one of the earliest methods of preserving food.
The packet I have has been waiting for me to magically transform it for at least a couple of months. The first thing that really struck me was how little it smelled, a good thing, as the smell we associate with fish generally means it's starting to deteriorate, (walk away from any fish mongers or seller that smells like fish). It needs soaking in cold water overnight or longer (I soaked it for 2 nights), which will get rid of most, (but not all), of the saltiness.
The main thing I found is to remember that you are dealing with something that will be relatively salty, so you probably don't need to add any extra salt to whatever you are making and should avoid salty ingredients like capers, anchovies or fish sauce. Once the fish has been soaked, you are left with a normal piece of raw cod, ready to be used however you would with a fresh piece.
I have the pastry bug, which is weird as I shouldn't really be eating it on a low carbohydrate diet. I tell myself it's all for Neil or that I can remove the pastry, but I know that that won't entirely be the case. I decided to make some mini quiches, adding some cheese and saffron to the pastry. Cheese to give it a little more flavour and some saffron for a few streaks of colour, (maybe a bit of a waste of the very expensive spice).
I made four small quiches, blind baking the pastry for 15 minutes first to ensure it firms up and cooks correctly. I have always been told, (mainly by Neil and his family) that eating under cooked pastry can be very bad for your stomach. I have never actually heard this from my 'master baker' dad or my equally talented mum, so I'm not really sure how accurate this information is. I still blind bake them though, if anything just to keep their shape and to make me feel like I know what I'm doing.
The first garden harvest of the year. Chives, basil and fennel grown by me. None from seed, but one step at a time on a tiny urban balcony. For some reason, mint and cilantro simply refuse to grow at all, whether from seed or plug plant. Shame, they are two of my favourites.
I layered the salt cod with some feathery fennel fronds, (try saying that five times).....
........some leek, bell pepper, tomato and more herbs..........
......and finally poured over a mixture of beaten egg, milk and sour cream. The recipe is given at the bottom of the post.
They were heavy, (always a good sign in a quiche, I think) and had a good contrast between the (not too) salty cod and the sweet, complex tomato and leek tastes, plus the herbs gave a nice fresh from the garden flavour. Success (and I ate two - pastry and all).
Recipe : Salt cod and tomato quiche
makes 4 or 5 small quiches or one large
Cheese and saffron Pastry
2 and 1/8 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated strong cheese
a few strands of saffron
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
1/2 cup cold water
(You could add 1 tsp of baking powder as the original recipe suggests. I forgot and didn't notice any real difference).
Preheat the oven to 375oF
Place the flour, salt, saffron and cheese in a large mixing bowl and add the butter.
Rub the mixture together between your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pour the water into the mixture and, at first, use a knife to mix it together. When it starts to stick together, use your hands to squeeze it together, adding more water if necessary, until it forms a soft ball that leaves the bowl clean.
Wrap the pastry in clingfilm (Saran wrap) and chill for 30 minutes.
Filling
1/2 cup salt cold, soaked overnight or longer in cold water and drained and dried OR 1/2 cup fresh raw cod or white fish.
1 leek, white and a little green sliced very thinly
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
4 tomatoes, sliced thickly
A good handful of mixed herbs. (I used fennel for the fish, basil for the tomatoes and chives for onion flavour).
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp milk
A few sprinkles of paprika and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
Mix together the beaten eggs, sour cream and milk and set aside.
To assemble:
First, roll out the pastry on a floured board to a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Use this to either line 4 or 5 small quiche tins or 1 large, which have been buttered by spreading a little butter or margarine into them and then dusted with flour, patting out any surplus.
Press the pastry into the tins, (cutting out 4 circles for the smaller), place some tin foil inside and pour in some dry beans or rice to allow the quiches to keep their shape.
'Blind' Bake at 375oF for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the foil. (You can re use the beans or rice for more baking).
for one, otherwise share them out equally).
Pour the beaten egg mixture into each quiche equally and sprinkle with the paprika and black pepper.
Bake the quiches at 375oF again for about 40 minutes. Check they are done by inserting a skewer into a thick part. If it comes out clean and they are firm to the touch, they are ready.
Carefully remove from the tins or tin and cool on a wire rack.
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