BACALAO - Real Turmat's New Meal for 2021
What is Bacalao?
.
Bacalao is a Portuguese/ Spanish style fish stew made from dried and salted cod, also known as Clipfish
.
Clipfish is nutritionally rich in Protein, Vitamin A, D and B12, Selenium and Omega-3's.
.
Norwegian clipfish has been exported worldwide since the early 1700s. The Catholic tradition of refraining from eating meat during the Christmas season and on Fridays saw an increased demand, for this durable and easy to store fish. Norway’s age old techniques of salting and drying the high-quality cod from the clean, cold Norwegian sea explains why it has been exported from Norway for over 300 years.
.
Clipfish in English is known as salted and dried cod. The name originates from the word “clip” which comes from the Old Norse “kleppr” much akin to the English word “cliff”. Cod and other white fish were traditionally folded out, salted and dried on these rocky coastlines.
.
Salting and drying are some of the oldest methods for preserving fish and meat. The salt extracts the water and saturates the remaining water content of the fish with salt. This process usually takes a few months.
.
During production, the fish is salted several times. The first time, the salt dissolves, leaving the fish laying in a brine. When most of the water has been extracted, the fish is rinsed and brushed, and then salted again. It’s all done in a cool environment to inhibit bacterial growth.
.
After several weeks in salt, the fish is pressed again to remove even more water. Then it is salted again, before it is finally left to dry. When the water content of the salted fish drops below 48 per cent, it is called clipfish.
.
Why not try one for yourself and let us know what you think!