Cod with garlic from Cuenca

How to make cod to the ajorriero . This recipe with fish can be a first class appetizer or a hearty first course.

It is a kind of soft pasta or paté made with a mixture of potatoes, cod crumbs, breadcrumbs, boiled eggs, extra good olive oil and garlic.

This  ajoarriero cod is very typical in Cuenca although very different from that eaten in other areas of Castilla León. A simple and delicious dish that is usually made at regional parties and Easter.

The ajoarriero cod, ajoarriero, ajada cod, atascaburras or garlic Mortar is a delicious dish with an extraordinary taste. Although the word garlic comes out in almost all the names that are given to this dish, it is hardly noticeable in the recipe because its flavor is intense with cod and creamy from the potato.

This simple dish made with salted cod has no clear origin. Its name indicates that it possibly appeared among the muleteers (people in charge of transporting goods with mules and drag animals to different geographical parts). Possibly they were acquiring the ingredients of the plate along the way.

The ajoarriero was also the culmination of all deals and sale of wine and had his ritual: ” Cod wore the drover, fry or attachments the coasting the seller and the wine made him the garapitero or mediator of red and claret”.

A dish that has been known since the 17th century and that was said to ” fill up the donkeys “, hence one of its names:  the atascaburras . You see that it has a very curious story and worthy of a privileged site on the blog. Of course Susana is right, she is about to finish it and do another one again, really yummy.

How to desalinate cod

1. In this recipe we can use the crumbs, cuts of the cod or thicker pieces of cod, it is still a recipe for use. Depending on the type it is, it will take more or less time to desalt it.
2. To desalinate the cod, it must be covered in plenty of water.
3. Large pieces will desalt for 48 hours, with water change approximately every 6 hours. The finer parts will desalinate for 36 hours, with a water change every 8 hours.
4. The remains and the crumbled cod are usually desalted first under cold water for 10 minutes and then left to soak for 3 hours with a change of water after 1 hour and a half, that is enough.
5. While the fish is desalting, it must remain at a temperature between 6º and 8º C in the refrigerator, since at room temperature it can ferment.
6. If it happens to you, you will notice right away, it has happened to me before, the smell is … well, I don’t need to describe it. Furthermore, inside the fridge we avoid temperature variations, which accelerate or delay desalting.

Preparation of the ajoarriero cod

1. Peel the potatoes (I recommend Galician potato type Kennebeck) and chop them into smaller or smaller cubes, the smaller they are the faster they will cook. We put a pot on the fire with enough water to cover the potatoes. We cook them for 10-12 minutes over medium heat and we prick with a fork to see if they are.
2. When there are about 2 minutes left until the end of the cooking of the potatoes we add the cod and when it returns to a boil, we turn off the heat, cover and let it rest for five minutes.
3. We remove everything from the water and place the potatoes in a deep plate. If we have used large pieces of cod we clean them and crumble them with our hands, and we reserve it in another plate.
4. The next step will be to cook the eggs . We cover a small saucepan or casserole with cold water and cook them 10 minutes from the boil. We should not cook them any longer since a dark greenish halo forms around the yolk that is unpleasant to the eye. With these indications you have to be perfect. We reserve.
5. We prepare a mash with the potatoes, mash them with a fork or a potato press, if necessary add a little of the cooking broth to make it easier.
6. We chop the three hard-boiled eggs very well (except two egg yolks that we reserve without mincing). We reserve the chopped egg and the 2 whole yolks.
7. Finely chop the fresh parsley. We reserve.

Preparation and final presentation of the cod

1. Crush the 4 garlic cloves in a mortar with the breadcrumbs, the whole yolks of the cooked egg and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
2. It should look like a dense and fairly homogeneous paste, almost cream. We mix this pasta very well with the mashed potatoes.
3. Add the extra virgin olive oil to the mashed potato little by little while continuing to beat with manual rods, moving all the time.
4. It is time to add half of the egg (1 and a half) and the cod crumbs. Crush again with the potato press or a fork.
5. We tried in case it was necessary to add salt. Although normally it is not necessary since the cod provides its own despite being well desalinated.
6. Let it rest for a few minutes, just enough to toast a little bread, and it would be perfect to serve.
7. Garnish with the remaining chopped hard-boiled egg and chopped parsley. Just yummy.

I encourage you to visit more recipes for tapas, snacks and pinchos  perfect for an unforgettable evening with yours.