Mexican-Style Cod: The Christmas Recipe Mexico Made Its Own

How cod came to Mexico: a history of colonies and trade

The history of cod in Mexico is, in reality, the history of Spanish colonial trade. When the conquistadors arrived in the New World in the 16th century, they brought with them their staple foods: wheat, olive oil, wine, and salted cod. Cod was the perfect protein for transatlantic voyages: it could be stored for months without refrigeration, was light to transport, and rich in nutrients.

The Spanish brought cod as travel food and military provisions, but it was the Franciscan and Dominican missionaries who established it as Lenten food in Mexico. Religious communities imposed abstinence from meat for 40 days, and salted cod became the perfect alternative: it was cheap, durable, and easy to store in a country with no tradition of cold-water fishing.

What's fascinating is what happened next. Mexican cooks, heirs to an extraordinary pre-Hispanic culinary tradition, took that Spanish cod and transformed it with their native ingredients: dried chilies, tomatoes, nopales, almonds, and local herbs. The result was a new, profoundly Mexican dish, which no longer resembled the salted fish eaten in Spain.

Today, bacalao a la mexicana is inseparable from Christmas Eve. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, markets in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Puebla fill with piles of salted cod. It's a multi-million dollar seasonal business and a tradition that unites Mexican families of all social classes.

Cod on Mexican Christmas Eve

In Mexico, Christmas Eve dinner has an almost ritualistic menu. And cod is one of the three main stars, along with romeritos (a wild herb with mole and dried shrimp) and tamales. In many families, the cod is prepared on December 23rd so that the flavors can meld, and it is reheated on the night of the 24th.

Tradition says that cod "improves with resting," and it's true: just like with many stews, the flavors of the chili, tomato, and olives penetrate the cod fibers during resting hours, creating a complexity of flavor that cannot be achieved immediately.

Every family has its recipe, passed down from grandmothers to mothers to daughters. Some add more chili, some add potato, some reject olives. But the framework is always the same: cod + chilies + tomato + olives + capers. It is a democratic recipe and at the same time deeply personal.

Complete ingredients (8 people)

Mexican-style cod is a generous dish prepared in quantity. It is a tradition to serve many and have leftovers the next day.

Main ingredients

• 1 kg salted cod (or 800 g desalted cod, see step 1)
• 6 guajillo chilies
• 4 ancho chilies
• 6 large ripe tomatoes (or 800 g canned crushed tomatoes)
• 2 large onions, julienned
• 6 cloves garlic
• 200 g pitted green olives
• 100 g capers (drained)
• 100 g blanched almonds
• 3 bell peppers (red, cut into strips)
• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
• Ground black pepper
• Salt (carefully, the cod is already salty)

Optional (depending on the family)

• 2 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo (for those who want more spice)
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Step 1: Desalting and preparing the cod

Correct desalting is the basis of good Mexican-style cod. If the cod is too salty, it ruins the dish; if you desalt it too much, it loses flavor and becomes bland.

1. Cut the salted cod into large pieces (8-10 cm) to facilitate desalting.
2. Soak in cold water for 24-36 hours, changing the water every 6-8 hours (minimum 4 changes). The water should generously cover the cod.
3. Test the salt level: cut a small piece and chew it. It should be salty but pleasant, not unpleasantly so. Keep in mind that olives and capers will add more salt to the dish.
4. Once desalted, drain it and flake it into thick strips with your hands. Do not use a knife: the fibers break better by hand and create an uneven texture that absorbs the sauce better.
5. In a pot, bring water to a boil and blanch the flaked cod for 3 minutes. Drain immediately. This step removes residual salt and opens the fibers so they absorb the stew's flavors.

Step 2: The chilies (guajillo and ancho)

Dried chilies are the soul of Mexican-style cod. Each type brings a different profile:

• Guajillo chile: intense red color, mild-medium flavor with fruity notes and a hint of acidity. It is the most common chili used in Mexican cuisine for sauces.
• Ancho chile: this is dried poblano. Dark, almost black color. Sweet, smoky flavor, with notes of prunes and chocolate. It provides depth and complexity.

The combination of both creates a balanced flavor: guajillo provides color and acidity, while ancho provides sweetness and depth.

1. Open the chilies in half, remove the seeds and veins (seeds are spicy; veins concentrate capsaicin). If you want more spice, leave some guajillo seeds.
2. Toast the chilies in a dry pan over medium heat, 30 seconds per side. They should smell toasted but not burnt (they will turn bitter). They will puff up slightly and change color.
3. Soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes until soft.
4. Blend the soaked chilies with 2 cloves of garlic and 100 ml of the soaking water. Strain through a fine sieve to remove skins and residue. The result should be a thick, dark-red sauce with a deep aroma.

Step 3: Mexican-style sofrito

1. In a large casserole (or a Mexican clay pot if you have one), heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté the julienned onion for 8-10 minutes until translucent and sweet.
3. Add the remaining 4 cloves of garlic (minced) and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add the bell pepper strips and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring.
5. Add the tomatoes: if fresh, grate them first; if canned, pour them directly. Cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until the tomato reduces and the sofrito takes on a dark, intense color.
6. Pour in the chile sauce (from step 2). Mix well and cook for 5 more minutes. The aroma that will come from the pot is unmistakable: sweet, smoky, slightly spicy.

Step 4: Cooking the Mexican-style cod

1. Add the flaked and blanched cod to the sofrito. Mix carefully, without breaking the cod strips too much.
2. Lower the heat to minimum. Mexican-style cod does not boil: it cooks slowly, over low heat, so that the fibers absorb the sauce without hardening.
3. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cod will absorb the sauce and the flavors of the chilies.
4. Mid-way through cooking, add the oregano and black pepper.
5. If using potatoes, add them cooked and cubed at this point.

Important point: Mexican-style cod should NOT be dry. It should have a thick but present sauce that coats each piece of cod. If you notice it drying out, add a little water or fish broth. The final texture is moist, creamy from the starch of the tomato and the gelatin of the cod.

Step 5: Olives, capers, and almonds

The final ingredients are added in the last 5 minutes. These are what give Mexican-style cod its unique Mediterranean-Mexican character.

1. Add the green olives (whole or cut in half, as you prefer). Olives provide a salty, acidic, and meaty note that cuts through the sweetness of the chilies.
2. Add the drained capers. Capers are the burst of flavor that appears as a surprise in every bite: acidic, salty, floral.
3. Scatter the blanched almonds on top. Some families toast them first; others put them raw so they soften slightly with the sauce. Both versions are valid.
4. Mix carefully. Cook for 3-5 more minutes for everything to integrate.
5. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. Ideally, prepare it the day before.

Serving and accompaniments

Mexican-style cod is served at room temperature or slightly warm (not boiling). Traditional accompaniments:

• Telera or bolillo white bread (the quintessential Mexican bread, similar to ciabatta)
• Corn tostadas (to serve as cod tostadas, tapas-style)
• Mexican red rice (rice with tomato, onion, and broth)
• Christmas Eve salad (beetroot, apple, orange, peanut, lettuce)

As a tapa or appetizer, Mexican-style cod is served cold on corn tostadas, topped with an avocado slice and fresh cilantro. It's a spectacular way to present it as a starter at a dinner party.

Regional variations in Mexico

Like any recipe with centuries of history, Mexican-style cod has variations that reflect the different regions of the country:

• Mexican Bacalao a la Vizcaína: Veracruz version, direct Spanish influence. Uses bell peppers instead of dried chilies and adds raisins. It is the mildest and sweetest version.
• Oaxacan Cod: incorporates Oaxacan pasilla chile (smoked) and grated dark chocolate into the sauce. The influence of mole is evident.
• Northern Cod: Monterrey version, more austere. Guajillo chili, tomato, onion, and olives. No almonds or capers. Straight to the point.
• Pickled Cod: Yucatán version, with red onion, bitter orange, habanero, and Yucatecan oregano. Completely different flavor from the central region.
• Cod with Nopales: contemporary version that adds diced nopales (cactus). They provide a crunchy-gelatinous texture and a vegetable flavor that complements the cod.

Differences between Spanish and Mexican cod

Although they share raw material, Spanish bacalao a la vizcaína and Mexican bacalao a la mexicana are completely different dishes:

• Chilies: Spain uses choricero pepper (sweet, non-spicy); Mexico uses guajillo and ancho chilies (with heat and complexity).
• Base: Spanish Vizcaína does NOT contain tomato (it's a myth that it does); Mexican Vizcaína does, in abundance.
• Cod texture: in Spain, it's served in whole fillets; in Mexico, it's shredded into strips.
• Season: in Spain, cod is a Lenten dish (spring); in Mexico, it's a Christmas dish (winter).
• Olives and capers: the Mexican version always includes them; the Spanish version almost never does.
• Nuts: Mexico adds almonds (and sometimes pine nuts); Spain does not.

What they share is the essential: the idea that salted cod is a noble ingredient that deserves elaborate preparation. Both traditions elevate it from a preserved necessity to a celebratory dish.

Frequently Asked Questions