Salt Cod Vizcaya Style (Bacalao a la Vizcaina)

Ingredients:

2 pounds salt cod, cut into large pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, cored and minced
1 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 whole cloves
1/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 cup large pitted green Spanish or Italian olives
3 Tbsp. pickled jalapeno chiles plus 3 Tbsp. pickling juices

Instructions:

Soak the cod in a large bowl of cold water for about 6–8 hours, making sure to change the water several times, then drain. Cover the cod with cold water again, then break apart into flakes while picking through the cod to remove any skin and bones. Drain again.

Put cod into a medium pot and cover with cold water, then boil over high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the cod and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the tomatoes and onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, then add the cod and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, breaking the fish up further with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to fry, about 7–10 minutes. Add the cloves, peppercorns, marjoram, and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the almonds and olives and cook until heated through, about 1–2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chiles and pickling juice, then set aside to cool to room temperature before serving.

Recipe from Saveur Magazine, Issue #55.