Cod Cheeks with Rice: Creamy Rice Recipe

The long answer is in this post. The short answer: with rice and pil pil, the creamiest and most delicious rice you'll ever taste.

Cod kokotxas with rice is a fusion of sea and land that makes perfect sense: the natural gelatin of the kokotxas, which creates that silky, white sauce in the pil pil, partially transfers to the rice, making it incredibly creamy. Like a risotto, but without adding extra cheese or butter. The sea does it all on its own.

What Are Cod Kokotxas

Before the recipe, it's good to know what we're working with.

Kokotxas (kokotxas in Basque) are the "chins" or the muscular area of the cod's jowl, just below the mouth. They are not the cheeks (which are also tasty), but the lower part of the jaw: a very small area per animal, with a much higher collagen concentration than the rest of the body.

• When cooked with oil and gentle heat, the collagen dissolves and forms a natural emulsion (the pil pil) without needing any thickener.
• The final texture is gelatinous and silky, completely different from any other cod cut.
• The flavor is intense and deep—more so than the loin.

Yield fact: A 5 kg live cod yields only about 80-100 g of kokotxas. This explains their price and rarity in the market. They are a seasonal and limited product.

At Bacalalo, when we have kokotxas, we announce it. If you want to secure your batch, call us in advance.

Ingredients for 4 People

For the kokotxa pil pil:

• 500 g desalted cod kokotxas
• 350 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 sliced garlic cloves
• 1-2 bird's eye chilies (optional, for those who want spice)
• Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)

For the creamy rice:

• 300 g bomba rice (or carnaroli if you want a more pronounced risotto effect)
• 1 liter fish stock (ideally homemade, made with cod bones and vegetables)
• 1 small onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 100 ml dry white wine
• Mild olive oil
• Salt, white pepper

Homemade cod stock (optional but recommended):

• Desalted cod bones and head (whatever you have left from desalting)
• 1 leek, 1 onion, 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf, whole peppercorns
• 1.5 liters of water

Step-by-Step

Part 1: The Cod Stock

If you have bones or the cod head after desalting, use them for the stock. Homemade cod stock has more gelatin and flavor than any fish stock cube and significantly improves the rice.

1. Place the bones in cold water, bring to a boil. Skim. Reduce heat.
2. Add the coarsely chopped vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns.
3. Simmer for 20-25 minutes (no more—cod can become bitter if boiled too long).
4. Strain and set aside. It should be a clear stock, slightly gelatinous when cold.

If you don't have bones, use good quality fish stock (not instant sachets if you can avoid it).

Part 2: Desalting the Kokotxas

• 24-36 hours in cold water (refrigerator)
• Change water every 8 hours
• They are delicate—do not compress or handle them roughly
• Complete desalting is key: if they remain salty, the pil pil will be inedible

Taste a small piece before cooking. They should taste like cod, with a pleasant, not overpowering, saltiness.

Part 3: The Kokotxa Pil Pil

Pil pil with kokotxas is easier than pil pil with loin because kokotxas have much more collagen and release the necessary gelatin for the emulsion more quickly.

1. Confit the garlic: In a wide, shallow pot, heat the oil over very low heat with the sliced garlic and chili (if using). The garlic should not brown, only infuse for 8-10 minutes. When transparent and soft, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.

1. Add the kokotxas: With the oil at no more than 70°C (it should tremble but not bubble vigorously), place the kokotxas skin-side down. You will immediately notice them start to release a white gelatin—this is what we want.

1. The circular motion: With gentle, circular movement of the pot (the famous "meneíto" or gentle shaking of the pil pil), emulsify the gelatin with the oil. Kokotxas, unlike cod loin, emulsify the pil pil very quickly—in 8-10 minutes you will have a white and creamy sauce.

1. Temperature control: The temperature should not exceed 75-80°C at any time. If you see the oil starting to fry (large, active bubbles), remove from heat and continue stirring. Pil pil is made at confit temperatures, not frying temperatures.

1. Result: The kokotxas will be cooked when they are opaque and the sauce has the consistency of a light béchamel—silky, white, coating the back of a spoon.

Carefully remove the kokotxas and set them aside. Also reserve the pil pil sauce separately.

Part 4: The Creamy Rice

1. Base sofrito: In a wide pot, sauté the finely chopped onion in mild oil for 10-12 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. The sofrito should be translucent, almost mellow.

1. Toast the rice: Add the bomba rice and sauté it with the sofrito for 2-3 minutes. The rice should become translucent at the edges (pearlescent)—this seals the grain and improves the final texture.

1. Deglaze with wine: Add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate (1-2 minutes over high heat).

1. Add the stock: Add the hot stock all at once (ratio 1:3.2—for every cup of rice, 3.2 cups of stock). Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat.

1. First part of cooking: Cook the rice for 12-13 minutes without stirring too much. Unlike risotto, bomba rice does not require constant stirring. Just make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom.

1. Incorporate the pil pil into the rice: In the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add 3-4 spoonfuls of the pil pil sauce to the rice and stir gently. The pil pil sauce contains the gelatin and fat from the cod—when incorporated into the rice, it makes it tremendously creamy without adding anything else.

1. Finish: Turn off the heat when the rice is al dente (it should still have some stock—creamy rice is not dry). Let it rest for 2-3 minutes, covered.

Part 5: Incorporating the Kokotxas Without Breaking Them

This is the most delicate part. Cooked kokotxas are very fragile—they easily fall apart when handled.

• Place the kokotxas on the rice at the moment of serving, not during cooking.
• If you want to warm them slightly, place them in a soup plate with a little pil pil sauce and heat them in the oven at 60°C for 3-4 minutes. Do not boil them or put them in a hot pan.
• When serving, move the plate instead of moving the kokotxas—the creamy rice will surround them without needing to push.

Why they break: The collagen that makes kokotxas gelatinous also makes them fragile to heat. Once cooked in pil pil, kokotxas have a delicate structure that breaks down with excessive heat or rough handling.

Related Bacalalo Products

Desalted Cod Tail without Bones (1pc) - 500g

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Extra Shredded Desalted Cod - 500g

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Desalted Cod Kokotxas - 500g

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Presentation and Serving

This dish is served in a deep bowl or soup plate:

1. Generous base of creamy rice with pil pil
2. 3-4 kokotxas carefully placed on top
3. A drizzle of pil pil sauce around
4. The confit garlic from the pil pil distributed
5. Fresh chopped parsley
6. Bird's eye chili if used (for decoration and for the brave)

The visual contrast between the creamy white rice, the white of the kokotxas, and the green of the parsley is beautiful. And the taste needs no description—let the one who tries it speak for themselves.

Cod Stock vs. Standard Fish Stock

The stock you use changes the dish:

Homemade cod bone stock: Gelatinous, intense and specific cod flavor. Enhances the gelatin of the pil pil. The final result is more coherent—everything tastes elegantly of cod.

White fish fumet (hake, monkfish): Good result. More neutral flavor. The pil pil dominates the dish.

Vegetable stock: The result is milder, less marine. Works if you have no other option.

Water: The minimum. The rice will only taste of the pil pil, without extra depth. Only recommended if the pil pil is very expressive.

Buy Kokotxas at Bacalalo

Kokotxas are a product of limited availability. At Bacalalo, we work with them when the season and quality allow. If you want to ensure you get them, consult with us before visiting.

Buy cod kokotxas at Bacalalo — Mercat del Ninot, Barcelona

Frequently Asked Questions

At Bacalalo, we have been delighting our customers at Mercat del Ninot with kokotxas since 1990. If you have never tried them, start with this dish: it is the most generous way to understand what makes this unique part of the cod so special.