Cod with Garlic Sauce, Berasategui Style: A Haute Cuisine Recipe at Home

Berasategui and Ajoarriero: Haute Cuisine with Humble Roots

Martín Berasategui, the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars (12 in total across all his restaurants), has a special relationship with traditional Basque Country and Navarre dishes. Ajoarriero — literally "muleteer's garlic," the stew prepared by muleteers on their journeys with mules — is one of those dishes he has reinterpreted in his signature cuisine without losing an iota of its original essence.

What differentiates Berasategui's approach to traditional ajoarriero is the precision at every step: the garlic is browned exactly until it releases its sweetness without burning, the choricero peppers are hydrated with just the right amount of water, and the cod is flaked at the perfect temperature to bind with the oil, creating a natural emulsion.

This recipe is inspired by Martín Berasategui's style, adapted for home cooking. We use premium Icelandic cod from Bacalalo, the product we have been selecting since 1990 in the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona — because a good ajoarriero always starts with good cod.

What is Ajoarriero? Origin and History

Ajoarriero originated as a road meal. Muleteers — transporters who traveled Spain with strings of mules — needed dishes that would keep well, be prepared with dry ingredients, and be very filling. Salted cod was perfect: light to transport, imperishable, and nutritious.

In Navarre, especially in the Pamplona and Ribera areas, ajoarriero became an iconic dish. Every family has its version, but the base is always the same: flaked cod, abundant garlic, olive oil, choricero peppers, and tomato. What varies is the proportion, the final texture, and small regional details.

The Navarran version is drier and heartier, with well-flaked cod and confit vegetables. The Basque version tends to be more liquid and is sometimes served as a sauce. Berasategui, a native Basque with deep knowledge of Navarran cuisine, fuses both traditions into a creamy, balanced, and sophisticated version.

Ingredients for Ajoarriero Cod (4 servings)

• 500 g desalted Icelandic cod (preferably loin or center cut, boneless)
• 4 dried choricero peppers (or 2 tablespoons choricero pepper pulp)
• 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely diced (brunoise)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, grated
• 1 dried chili pepper (or a pinch of cayenne)
• 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh chopped parsley
• Salt (carefully, as the cod is already salty)

Step-by-Step Preparation

Step 1: Prepare the choricero peppers

Open the choricero peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem. Place them in a bowl with hot water and let them hydrate for 30 minutes. Once soft, scrape out the inner pulp with a spoon and set this red paste aside. Discard the skin. If using preserved choricero pepper pulp, skip this step.

Step 2: Confit the garlic

In a large skillet or shallow pot, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and the chili pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden but not burnt. This step is critical: one second too long and the garlic will make the whole dish bitter.

Berasategui insists that the garlic should be browned in oil at a controlled temperature, never in smoking oil. The oil temperature should not exceed 130°C.

Step 3: Sauté the onion and add the tomato

Add the finely diced onion and slightly raise the heat to medium-low. Sauté for 12-15 minutes until it is completely transparent and sweet. It should not turn dark.

Incorporate the grated tomato and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring regularly, until all the acidity is gone and it becomes a thick, concentrated paste. Add the choricero pepper pulp and mix well. Cook for 3 more minutes.

Step 4: Flake the cod

If the cod is raw (desalted but uncooked), there are two options. The first and most traditional: poach the cod in water at 65°C for 8-10 minutes, without boiling. Drain it and flake it into pieces with your hands, removing bones and skin.

The second option, more in Berasategui's style: confit the cod directly in olive oil at 60°C for 12 minutes. The result is a more unctuous cod with a silky texture.

At Bacalalo, we offer already desalted cod that greatly facilitates this preparation.

Step 5: Integrate and bind

Add the flaked cod to the sofrito in the pan. Mix with gentle, enveloping movements over low heat for 8-10 minutes. The cod will release its natural gelatin, which will bind with the oil, creating a creamy emulsion. Do not stir vigorously — the movement should be back and forth, as if making a pil pil.

The ajoarriero is ready when the mixture has an unctuous and homogeneous texture, where individual ingredients are no longer distinguishable, but rather a creamy mass with some visible pieces of cod. Adjust salt carefully.

Haute Cuisine Tips for a Perfect Ajoarriero

• Controlled temperature: The entire process is done over low to medium heat. Ajoarriero is not fried, it is confited. High temperatures break the emulsion and result in a dry and oily product instead of a creamy one.
• Cod quality: Use premium quality Icelandic cod. Cheap pieces have little gelatin, and the ajoarriero will not bind correctly. Gelatin is the natural emulsifying agent that holds everything together.
• Authentic choricero peppers: Do not substitute choricero peppers with paprika. Although they provide a similar color, the pulp of the choricero has a texture and sweetness that paprika cannot replicate.
• Gentle stirring: Stir with a wooden spoon in enveloping movements, never with a spatula or with force. Ajoarriero is bound by movement, like pil pil sauce.
• Mandatory resting: Let the ajoarriero rest for 10-15 minutes off the heat before serving. The emulsion stabilizes, and the flavors fully integrate.
• Generous olive oil: Oil is not just a cooking medium, it is a main ingredient. Berasategui uses 150 ml for 500 g of cod, and that proportion is what produces the creamy texture.

Presentation and Plating

Berasategui-style, the plating should be clean and sophisticated:

• Use a plating ring to shape the ajoarriero cylindrically in the center of the plate
• Crown with a fresh parsley leaf and a few drops of raw extra virgin olive oil
• Optional: a crispy fried bread or a dehydrated choricero pepper wafer as a visual garnish
• Serve with lightly toasted rustic bread on the side

For a more rustic presentation (equally valid), serve directly in individual clay pots with slices of toasted bread for dipping.

Ajoarriero Variations

• Ajoarriero with egg: Add 2 beaten eggs at the end of cooking and stir until they set, forming a texture similar to scrambled eggs. This is the heartiest and most popular version in Navarre.
• Ajoarriero with prawns: Add 8 sautéed peeled prawns on top. The combination of earthy cod with sweet seafood is spectacular.
• Ajoarriero on toast: Serve as a tapa on toasted bread slices, with a piquillo pepper on top and a drizzle of oil. Perfect for an appetizer.

Frequently Asked Questions