Repapalos of cod with entomatá

How to make cod batters with entomatá .

Today my kitchen has dressed in Extremadura with the recipe with fish that we have prepared, some cod fillets with entomatá .

This dish combines two recipes that are part of the most traditional repertoire of Extremadura, the repápalos and the entomatá .

The repápalos, repárpalos, repámpanus, sapillos, güevecillos or papones , depending on the area of ​​Extremadura that we are talking about, are some muffins based on breadcrumbs and eggs that are fried and then cooked.

Although perhaps the most traditional way of preparing them is in their sweet version. There are also salty variants such as the cod batters that I bring you today that are usually prepared at Easter .

We got a kind of cod meatball thanks to the breadcrumb and egg that we initially fried in abundant oil, to end up being stewed in a sauce.

That sauce that will serve as an accompaniment and will form part of the stew of the repápalos is entomatá, another of the classics of Extremaduran cuisine.

It is a variant of Manchego ratatouille in which vegetables, mainly peppers, onions and garlic, are fried and braised, seasoned with a pinch of paprika from La Vera.

The result of the combination of these two recipes is one of those dishes of enjoyment, in which you can not miss a good bread to accompany and dip the sauce.

With simple and classic ingredients we can get a classy dish, delicious and perfect for the whole family, a mouthful of yummy.

Preparation of the cod scraps

1. We desalt the cod, leaving it to soak for 48 hours. We must change the water from the soaking of the cod 3 or 4 times every day.
2. It is recommended that we keep the cod in the fridge while it is soaking, so we will avoid it from spoiling.
3. Once we have the desalted cod we put it in a saucepan covered with water. We blanch the cod by cooking it for 2 or 3 minutes. We remove the casserole from the heat, drain the cod and reserve the cooking water.
4. In a bowl we beat the eggs. We add the crumbled bread crumb and mix so that it is soaked by the egg.
5. Peel and cut into small cubes one of the onions and one of the garlic cloves. Add these vegetables to the eggs with bread and mix well.
6. Crumble the cod that we have blanched and reserved and add it to the rest of the ingredients.

Fry the cod fillets. Preparation of entomatá

1. We heat abundant olive oil in a frying pan or casserole. When it is hot we add portions of the cod mixture to the oil to fry. The size of the scraps will be the amount that we can take with a soup spoon.
2. We fry the coatings on both sides until they are well browned. And we remove to a tray with absorbent paper to remove the excess oil. We reserve.
3. To prepare the entomatá we begin by blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. We remove the tomatoes from the casserole, peel them and reserve.
4. In a saucepan, heat a splash of olive oil and add the chopped onion, garlic cloves and green Italian pepper.
5. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft over medium heat.
6. Remove the casserole from the heat and add a teaspoon of sweet paprika from La Vera.
7. Stir well with a fork, put the saucepan back on the fire and add the chopped peeled tomatoes.
8. We cook the vegetables about 20 minutes over medium low heat.

Final presentation of the cod batter with entomatá

1. Add the fried coatings to the casserole, cover with 300 ml. of the cod cooking broth. We continue to cook everything for 12 or 15 minutes.
2. We check the salt point and rectify if necessary.
3. The cod water will provide the stew with a good part of the salt necessary for the dish. That is why it is advisable to wait until the last moment, once the cod water has been integrated, to check the point of salt.

You can see all the photos of the step by step recipe for cod soaps   in this album.