LENA’S SALT COD SALAD
Chef Julie Marteleira’s classic Portuguese dish is a tribute to her mom,
NPR best summed up the appeal of salt cod, calling it the prosciutto of the sea and quoting American author Harold McGee, whose 1984 food bible, On Food and Cooking, explains the science behind cooking methods. McGee writes that salt helps the enzymes and friendly bacteria in fish turn flavourless proteins and fats into elements with complex flavours.
It’s why executive chef Julie Marteleira opts for salted rather than fresh cod at the newly opened Leña, the South American restaurant owned by the Oliver & Bonacini empire. The restaurant is located on the street level of Saks department store at Yonge and Richmond Sts.
Salt cod is a widely used ingredient in both South American and Portuguese cooking. Marteleira, who was born in Toronto to Portuguese parents, is well-accustomed to the latter.
When Marteleira was a kid, she moved to Portugal with her parents.
The family moved back to Toronto when Marteleira was 13. She later enrolled in George Brown’s culinary program and spent the bulk of her career at O&B, taking on roles at Canoe and Auberge du Pommier.
About four years ago, O&B’s corporate executive chef Anthony Walsh started talking about the Leña concept with her. The food would be a tribute to Walsh’s Argentinean mother-in-law, Elena.
“When we were developing the menu, Anthony would list off these dishes and I had no idea what he was talking about until I looked it up and it’s like, ‘Oh, we have a similar thing in Portugal,’ ” says Marteleira.
One of the commonalities is salt cod, or bacalhau in Portuguese, which dates back centuries to when European explorers sailed to the New World. Since refrigeration wasn’t an option in the 15th century, fish were doused with salt and hung up to dry for preservation.
Since then, salt cod spread to Portuguese colonies in the Caribbean, coastal Africa and South America.
“You’ll see it at bars all over Portugal but this is something my mom made for us,” says Mateleira.
The restaurant version blitzes spiced chickpeas into a warm puree and mixes it with flaky, tender salt cod. On top is dehydrated olive dust, crispy cumin chickpeas and chopped boiled egg, a common accompaniment to bacalhau. It’s perfect for a light lunch on a cool day.
The dish isn’t so much championing Portuguese cuisine, but rather her own little tribute to her mom.
“At the end of the day, it just boils down to me serving what I like to eat,” says Mateleira.
Salt Cod With Warm Puréed Chickpeas
3 Star Tested Marteleira boiled down the essence of the dish for this at-home version. Instead of sprinkling dehydrated olive dust, she suggests smoked paprika and minced black olives. The restaurant soaks raw chickpeas, but canned is fine.
Salt cod can be found in the seafood section of supermarkets or at Portuguese grocers. Before using, the cod needs to be soaked in water for three days in the fridge, with the water changed every day to get rid of the salty taste. It’s a bit of prep work, but once the soaking is done, the dish comes together in just 30 minutes. Taste the cod first before seasoning it, as it’s usually salty enough.
3 tbsp (45 mL) white vinegar 1/2 tsp (2 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped red onion 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1/2 small yellow onion, diced 1 minced garlic clove 1 591-mL can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups (500 mL) vegetable broth 1 lb (450 g) soaked boneless salt cod, rinsed and drained 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, for brushing fish plus more for garnish 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely diced pitted black olives Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and salt. Submerge onions in liquid and refrigerate.
In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Sauté onions and garlic until onions sweat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chickpeas and season generously with salt and pepper. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush cod filets with olive oil. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook cod 4 to 6 minutes on each side until fish flakes . Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Flake cod with a fork or hands.
Transfer cooked chickpeas to a blender or food processor, reserving some of the broth. Puree until smooth and creamy like mashed potatoes. Add reserved broth if chickpea puree is too thick.
To plate, spread chickpea puree evenly among four serving plates. Top puree with flaked cod. Garnish with pickled onions, chopped olives, cilantro leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve immediately. Makes four servings. karonliu@thestar.ca