Summary: The best cod recipes have one thing in common: a good sauce. Here are 6 classic Spanish sauces to accompany cod loins: green, tomato, Biscay style, pil pil, bell pepper, and almond. Each with step-by-step instructions and tips to ensure it always turns out perfect.
Table of Contents
The Sauce Makes the Dish
Cod is a fish that demands sauce. Its gelatinous texture and intense flavor (in the rehydrated salted version) make it the perfect partner for sauces with character. Furthermore, the natural gelatin in cod helps to emulsify and bind sauces naturally.
Golden rule: the sauce is made first, the cod is added at the end. Cod cooks in 10-12 minutes. If you add it from the beginning, it will become dry and fibrous.
1. Cod in Green Sauce
Green sauce is the queen of fish sauces in Spain. Originating from the Basque Country, it combines parsley, garlic, broth, and olive oil in a bright green emulsion.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 4 loins of rehydrated cod
- 4 cloves of sliced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 200 ml of fish broth
- A bunch of finely chopped fresh parsley
- 100 g of peas (fresh or frozen)
- Extra virgin olive oil
Step-by-step
- Brown the sliced garlic in plenty of oil. Remove just as they begin to brown.
- Lower the heat, add the flour. Stir for 1 minute.
- Pour in the fish broth little by little, stirring to prevent lumps from forming.
- Add the peas and half of the parsley. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Place the cod loins skin-side up. Cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, gently shaking the pan to help the gelatin bind the sauce.
- Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.
2. Cod in Tomato Sauce
The most homemade version and the one children love the most. Tomato with a base of soffritto, without acidity.
Step-by-step
- Sauté finely chopped onion in oil (10 min over low heat).
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
- Incorporate 500 g of grated natural tomato. Add a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity.
- Cook the tomato for 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat until it darkens and loses water.
- Place the cod loins on top of the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes.
Tip: serve with white rice to soak up the sauce. Sublime.
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3. Cod in Biscay Sauce
The great Basque sauce: rehydrated choricero peppers with caramelized onion. A dish with centuries of history. See full recipe for cod a la Bilbaína.
Summarized step-by-step
- Rehydrate 6-8 choricero peppers in hot water (30 min). Scrape out the flesh with a spoon.
- Sauté 3 large chopped onions in oil over very low heat (30-40 min). They should be almost melted.
- Mix the pepper flesh with the sautéed onion. Blend.
- Cook the sauce for 10 more minutes. Adjust salt to taste.
- Place the cod loins in the sauce. 10-12 minutes over low heat.
4. Cod in Bell Pepper Sauce
Simpler than Biscay style, it uses piquillo peppers that don't require prior preparation.
Step-by-step
- Sauté chopped onion in oil (10 min). Add 2 cloves of garlic.
- Add a can of drained piquillo peppers (250 g).
- Cook for 5 minutes. Add 100 ml of fish broth.
- Blend the sauce until it is smooth and homogeneous.
- Strain the sauce if you want a finer texture. Add the cod loins. 10-12 minutes.
This sauce is also perfect for cod-stuffed piquillo peppers.
5. Cod in Almond Sauce
A recipe with Andalusian and Catalan roots. Almond adds body and nutty flavor.
Step-by-step
- Toast 50 g of raw almonds in a dry pan. Set aside.
- In the same pan, brown 2 slices of bread (crust removed) in oil. Set aside.
- Sauté chopped onion and 3 cloves of garlic (10 min).
- Blend: almonds + fried bread + sautéed vegetables + 200 ml of fish broth. You should get a thick, creamy sauce.
- Pour the sauce into the casserole, cook for 5 minutes. Add the cod loins. 10-12 minutes over low heat.
Variant: substitute almonds with hazelnuts for a more intense flavor.
6. Cod Pil Pil Style
Technically not a sauce but an emulsion: the gelatin from the cod emulsifies with olive oil flavored with garlic to create a creamy and unctuous sauce. See full step-by-step recipe.
It is the most technical preparation but also the most spectacular. The secret: very low heat, patience, and constant gentle shaking of the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest sauce for cod?
Tomato sauce: basic ingredients, simple technique, and an almost infallible result. Green sauce is the second easiest.
Can the sauce be prepared in advance?
Yes, and it's recommended. All sauces can be made the day before. The cod is always added at the moment of serving (10-12 min before).
Why doesn't my green sauce thicken?
Green sauce thickens due to the cod's gelatin. If it doesn't thicken: 1) the cod doesn't have enough gelatin (use quality cod), 2) the heat is too high (lower it), 3) you're not shaking the pan enough.
Do these sauces work with other fish?
Green sauce, tomato sauce, bell pepper sauce, and almond sauce work with any white fish (hake, monkfish, sea bass). Biscay style and pil pil are specific to salted cod.
Related Guides
- Cod Pil Pil Style step by step
- Cod a la Bilbaína
- Grandma's traditional cod recipes
- Cod loins: 10 recipes
All these sauces start with good cod. Discover our premium rehydrated cod loins, with the perfect gelatin so your sauces always thicken, at Bacalalo.
