Cod Blog: Recipes, Guides and Comparisons
For weddings and events, calculate 8-12g of caviar per guest for cocktail receptions or 25-30g for dinner. Combine Sevruga caviar (more affordable) with Keta salmon roe and blinis for medium budgets; reserve Imperial Ossetra for the head table.
Caviar is ideal as a corporate gift for top clients and executives (budget €80-€500 per person): it is kept refrigerated, delivered with an ice pack and themed box, and communicates exclusivity without text. Sevruga or Osetra Imperial caviar are the best options for a professional gift.
For a romantic dinner, calculate 20-30g of caviar per person. Serve it on ice with a mother-of-pearl or bone spoon (never metal), accompanied by blinis, crème fraîche, and a brut champagne. Osetra or Sevruga caviar are ideal for beginners; Beluga for exceptional occasions.
Cod confited at a low temperature is cooked submerged in virgin olive oil at 65°C for 10-12 minutes. The protein denatures without losing moisture: it remains translucent inside, silky to the touch, and the natural gelatin is preserved. It is the basis of the best pil pils.
Koskera-style cod is a Basque stew of desalted cod loins cooked in a green sauce with peas, white asparagus, and hard-boiled egg. It is cooked in an earthenware pot over low heat for 8-10 minutes so that the cod remains juicy and the sauce thickens.
Zurrukutuna is a Basque soup made from shredded cod, stale bread, garlic, and chili, cooked slowly. The shredded dried cod gives it flavor; the bread thickens the soup; the garlic and chili provide character. A peasant dish transformed into a Basque culinary delight.
Sous vide cod tongues are cooked at 56°C for 18 minutes under vacuum with a touch of olive oil and confit garlic. After cooking, they are emulsified with their own juices and oil to create a silky pil pil with no risk of overcooking. Perfect texture guaranteed.
Cod kokotxas are firmer, more gelatinous, and intensely flavored; hake kokotxas are more delicate, smoother, and tender. Cod kokotxas work best "al pil pil"; hake kokotxas with "salsa verde." Price: cod €35-55/kg, hake €60-90/kg. Both are Basque treasures.
Stuffed squid in its own ink is prepared by filling cleaned squid with a sofrito (classic, Iberian, or seafood), searing them in a pan, and cooking them for 25-30 minutes in a sauce of poached onion, white wine, and ink. The key: do not pierce the squid when filling and reduce the sauce until silky smooth.
Squid rings (or battered squid) are made by dipping the rings in flour and egg (or tempura batter), and frying them in hot oil at 180°C for 90 seconds. The key: fresh or drained preserved squid, self-raising flour, and very hot oil so that they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Squid and calamari are similar but different cephalopod mollusks: squid (Dosidicus gigas) is larger, more economical, and has firm flesh, ideal for fried rings; calamari has finer, more tender flesh, better for delicate dishes. Canned squid maintains its texture and flavor at the best price.
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