Easter Week Menu with Cod: Recipes for Each Day

Holy Week and cod: why it's the most delicious tradition

The relationship between cod and Holy Week has more than five centuries of history. The Catholic Church established abstinence from meat during the Fridays of Lent and the most solemn days of Holy Week, and cod became the perfect answer: a fish that could be preserved without refrigeration, reached every corner of the Peninsula thanks to salting, and was versatile enough to be transformed into subsistence dishes or lavish preparations.

What began as a religious obligation evolved into one of Spain's most deeply rooted gastronomic traditions. Today, many families who do not practice the faith still prepare chickpea stew on Good Friday, or cod fritters on Ash Wednesday, simply because their grandmothers did. Holy Week cod is not just food — it is collective memory.

If you want to understand in depth why cod became the fish of Lent and how to choose the right piece for each recipe, read our article on the history of cod in Lent.

The cod that Holy Week deserves

Not all cods are equal. For the recipes in this guide to turn out well, the starting point matters. At Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona, we have been selecting Gadus morhua from Iceland since 1990 — the species and origin that professionals consider the absolute reference. A well-desalted loin, of uniform thickness and pearly white flesh, makes the difference between a good dish and a memorable one.

In this guide, you will find daily menus, detailed recipes, and at the end a complete shopping list so you don't miss anything throughout the week. If you prefer to save time, you can order everything online with refrigerated shipping in 24-48 hours.

Ash Wednesday Menu: potaje de vigilia (Lenten stew)

Ash Wednesday marks the official beginning of Lent — forty days before Holy Week — and is the first day of abstinence in the liturgical calendar. Tradition calls for "potaje": a hearty stew of chickpeas, spinach, and cod that warms the stomach and makes it clear that vigil does not have to be synonymous with culinary austerity.

Potaje de vigilia: the complete recipe

Cod stew with chickpeas and spinach is one of the most comforting dishes in Spanish cuisine. Cod provides protein and a marine flavor, chickpeas give body and texture, and spinach balances it with fresh vegetables. The onion, tomato, and paprika sofrito is the soul of the dish — don't skimp on it.

For a step-by-step preparation with all the timings and proportions, consult our complete recipe for cod stew with chickpeas and spinach. It's the version we've been making at home for generations: no shortcuts, with all the ingredients in their proper place.

Complete menu for Ash Wednesday

• Starter: Marinated olives and toasted bread with tomato
• Main dish: Cod stew with chickpeas and spinach (generous portion — it's the main and only dish)
• Dessert: Seasonal fruit or a homemade egg flan

Ash Wednesday has a more austere character than Good Friday — it's the beginning, not the climax. The stew, well made, is enough of a protagonist for a Lenten table.

Good Friday Menu: baked cod with potatoes

Good Friday is the most solemn day of Holy Week. In many Spanish homes, the menu for this day is practically unchangeable: baked cod with potatoes. It's a dish of absolute simplicity — few ingredients, direct technique — and precisely for that reason, it demands top-quality product.

Baked cod with potatoes: keys to making it perfect

The secret to baked cod lies in three details that most people overlook: first, the potatoes must be pre-cooked (in the oven or in a pan) before adding the cod, because their cooking times are very different. Second, the cod goes on top, never underneath — it needs the direct heat of the grill for the last few minutes to brown the skin. Third, the extra virgin olive oil should be generous — we're not on a diet, we're celebrating Holy Week.

The detailed recipe with all the steps, exact temperatures, and timings is in our guide to baked cod with potatoes. The result: a slightly toasted skin, flesh that flakes cleanly, and potatoes that have absorbed all the fish juices.

Complete menu for Good Friday

• Starter: Cod fritters (see starters section) or a desalted cod salad with black olives and roasted pepper
• Main course: Baked cod with sliced potatoes, red pepper, and garlic
• Side dish: Simple green salad (lettuce, tomato, spring onion)
• Dessert: Wine or milk torrijas (see desserts section)

This is the quintessential Holy Week menu. If you're only going to cook one day of the week with all your attention, make it this one.

Holy Week Starters: fritters, gildas, and croquettes

Holy Week starters play an important role: they set the tone for the meal before the main course arrives. At Lenten tables, the best starters are those that use cod in different ways — fried, preserved, mixed with other ingredients. Here are the three undisputed classics.

Fluffy cod fritters

Cod fritters are the most popular starter of Catalan and Valencian Holy Week. The right dough — with yeast, flour, egg, and shredded cod — results in a fritter that puffs up in hot oil and is golden on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The trick is the oil temperature: a constant 180 °C. If it drops, the fritters absorb grease. If it rises, they burn on the outside and remain raw inside.

We have the complete recipe for fluffy cod fritters with all the steps, including the technique for making the dough in advance the night before. If you want to skip the preparation, our ready-to-fry cod fritter dough arrives at your home and only needs hot oil.

Gildas: the ten-minute Basque appetizer

The gilda is the most famous pintxo in the Basque Country and one of the best appetizers around: anchovy, Basque chili pepper, and olive on a skewer. Three ingredients, no cooking, perfect result. The key is the quality of the anchovy — a mediocre anchovy ruins the gilda. For the Holy Week version, adding a flake of desalted cod between the anchovy and the chili is a variation that purists question and diners applaud.

Read our guide on the best gilda recipes for the classic version and the most interesting variations.

Cod croquettes: the fridge staple that never fails

Cod croquettes have the advantage that they can be prepared two days in advance — the béchamel sets and improves with rest. Breading with panko (instead of conventional breadcrumbs) results in a crispier and less greasy fry. For those who prefer to have them ready without prior work, our raw desalted cod croquettes only need to go into the fryer or pan directly from the freezer.

First Courses: stew, soup, and cod salad

Holy Week first courses must be substantial enough to honor tradition, but without exhausting the appetite before the main course. Cod, as a central ingredient, allows for very different preparations depending on the style you're looking for: a hearty stew for colder days, a light soup for when April's heat arrives, or a refreshing salad to whet the appetite before a more elaborate main course.

Cod stew with chickpeas and spinach

We've already mentioned it for Ash Wednesday, but Lenten stew is suitable for any day of the week. It is the most representative first course of Spanish Lent and has interesting regional variations: in some areas, chopped hard-boiled egg is added, in others Swiss chard instead of spinach, in others an almond paste that thickens and enriches the broth. The version we recommend — with cooked chickpeas, fresh spinach, and shredded cod added at the last moment — is detailed in our cod stew recipe.

Cod salad: five versions for the whole week

Cod salad is one of the most versatile preparations in the Lenten recipe book. It can be as simple as shredded desalted cod with black olives, roasted pepper, and olive oil, or as elaborate as a Catalan esqueixada with tomato, onion, and green pepper. The key is that the cod is well desalted but not overly washed — it needs to retain some of its salty character to contrast with the vegetables.

Our guide to cod salad: 5 fresh recipes for all year round covers everything from classic esqueixada to versions with orange, avocado, and sun-dried tomato. Perfect as a first course for Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday, when the weather starts to call for lighter dishes.

Cod soup with bread and garlic

Cod soup is a humble preparation that originated in "use-what-you-have" cooking: water, garlic, day-old bread, paprika, and shredded cod. The result, if carefully executed, is a dish with surprising depth of flavor. The trick is to toast the bread with garlic in oil before adding the hot water — that step defines the character of the broth. Ideal for Holy Thursday, when Holy Week is already at its peak intensity.

Main Courses: cod in green sauce, battered, and confit

Holy Week cod main courses allow for three distinct styles: the green sauce from the Basque Country — elegant and technical — the traditional battered version — direct and comforting — and the low-temperature confit — modern, with a silky texture. All three are complete dishes, all three work with the same basic product, and all three represent different ways of understanding cod.

Cod in green sauce with clams

Green sauce is the quintessential Basque preparation for cod. The dish relies on a sauce thickened solely by the collagen released by the cod during cooking — no flour, no cream, no industrial tricks. The circular movement of the pot — the "meneo" — is what emulsifies the fish gelatin with the garlic and parsley oil and creates that characteristic texture that cannot be achieved in any other way.

The complete recipe with the "meneo" technique, exact timings, and clam proportions is in our guide to cod in green sauce with clams. This is the dish we recommend for Good Friday if you prefer something more elaborate than baked.

Battered cod: the classic Lenten dish

Battered cod is perhaps the most widespread preparation throughout Spain during Holy Week. The technique seems simple — flour, egg, hot oil — but there are substantial differences between a mediocre batter (thick, greasy, detaching) and a good one (thin, crispy, adhering to the flesh). The secret is to thoroughly dry the cod before flouring it, use clean oil at a controlled temperature, and not overcrowd the pieces in the pan.

All the details of the technique are in our recipe for crispy battered cod. For those looking for the lightest batter possible, there is a variation with whipped egg white that significantly reduces the density of the coating.

Low-temperature confit cod

Confit is the most modern preparation of the three and also the one that most impresses diners unfamiliar with it. The cod is submerged in olive oil at a constant temperature of 60-65 °C for 15-20 minutes. At this temperature, the proteins slowly coagulate, and the fish acquires a silky, almost creamy texture that cannot be achieved with any other cooking technique.

The complete guide to low-temperature confit cod explains how to control the temperature at home without specialized equipment, what aromatics to add to the oil (garlic, thyme, bay leaf, chili pepper), and how to accompany the dish for a restaurant-level result. This is the dish to surprise on Easter Sunday.

Desserts: wine and milk torrijas

Torrijas are the quintessential Holy Week dessert. Their origin is humble — day-old bread, milk or wine, egg, oil — but the result, when well executed, is one of the most comforting sweets in Spanish gastronomy. There are two main variants: milk torrijas (smoother, with cinnamon and sugar) and wine torrijas (drier, with a hint of acidity from red or white wine that contrasts with the sweetness).

Milk torrijas: the most widespread version

Milk torrijas are made by soaking slices of bread (preferably day-old bread, untoasted) in warm milk flavored with cinnamon sticks and lemon peel. After soaking — which should be at least twenty minutes for the bread to absorb well — they are dipped in beaten egg and fried in mild olive oil. The finish is a coating of sugar and ground cinnamon, or a light syrup that moistens them without saturating them.

The key to a perfect milk torrija: the bread should not fall apart when handled (if it breaks, it was too soaked) or be dry inside (if it's hard, it needed more soaking). The ideal texture is firm on the outside and creamy in the center.

Wine torrijas: the Andalusian version

Wine torrijas are typical of southern Spain, especially Andalusia and Extremadura. Instead of milk, the bread is soaked in white or red wine — traditionally the leftover wine from the week — with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes anise. The result is drier and has a more complex flavor than the milk version.

If the recipe for Andalusian wine torrijas exists on our blog, it is the reference for this version. The classic proportion is 150 ml of wine for every four slices of bread, with a tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of cinnamon in the soaking liquid.

Organization tip for desserts

Torrijas improve overnight — the bread settles and the flavors integrate. If you're making them for Good Friday, prepare them on Thursday evening and store them in the fridge covered with film. For Easter Sunday, if you make them on Saturday, they'll be perfect.

Shopping list for the entire Holy Week

This list is calculated for 4-6 people, covering the dishes described in this guide throughout the week. The cod weights already account for the yield from desalting (desalted cod weighs approximately 20% more than dry cod due to hydration). If you use Bacalalo's desalted cod — which arrives ready to cook — the quantities are as shown in the table.

Note: If you use ready-to-use fritter dough and raw croquettes, you can remove the fritter and croquette ingredients (flour, yeast, etc.) from the list and reduce the shredded cod to 200 g just for the stew and salad.

How to organize online shopping with refrigerated shipping

Buying cod for the entire Holy Week online has a clear advantage over the local fishmonger: you can plan it in advance, without depending on dwindling stocks at the end of the week, and the product arrives with a guaranteed cold chain. Some logistical aspects need to be considered for everything to go smoothly.

When to place your order for Holy Week 2026

The key dates for Holy Week 2026 are: Palm Sunday on March 29, Ash Wednesday on April 1, Holy Thursday on April 2, Good Friday on April 3, and Easter Sunday on April 5.

To receive your order with enough time before the start of the week, place your order before March 28, 2026. Refrigerated shipping from Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona arrives within 24-48 hours throughout mainland Spain. If you are in the Balearic or Canary Islands, please check the shipping conditions on the website.

Storage of desalted cod upon arrival home

Desalted cod should be stored in the refrigerator between 0 °C and 4 °C. It has a shelf life of 5-7 days from opening the package. If you receive it on Monday or Tuesday of Holy Week, the product will be in perfect condition until Easter Sunday.

For preparations at the end of the week (Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday), you can freeze the pieces you won't use during the first few days and thaw them in the refrigerator 24 hours before cooking. The texture of properly frozen and thawed desalted cod is practically identical to that of fresh cod.

How to organize servings by day

With 1.2 kg of loins and 400 g of shredded cod for 4-6 people throughout the week, the recommended distribution is:

• Ash Wednesday (April 1): 200 g shredded for the stew
• Holy Thursday (April 2): 200 g shredded for salad and soup; 200 g loins for confit as an early treat
• Good Friday (April 3): 600 g loins for the main baked dish + 200 g for fritters or battered starter
• Holy Saturday (April 4): 400 g loins for green sauce
• Easter Sunday (April 5): Remaining loins for confit as a special celebratory dish

At Bacalalo.com, we have been selecting and selling cod at the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona since 1990. What started as a market stall has become an e-commerce that ships throughout Spain with the same quality standards we apply to our counter products.

Frequently asked questions

The Holy Week menu with cod does not require exotic ingredients or haute cuisine techniques. It requires good produce, respect for tradition, and the desire to sit down at the table with time. At Bacalalo, we have been selecting the cod that deserves that table for over thirty years at Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona. If this year you want Holy Week to taste just right, start with the product.