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Nothing is better than warming up with a bowl of thick, hearty stew. Bacalao a la Vizcaina, a traditional Basque dish is certain to deliver.
Made with salted cod, a fresh tomato sauce, salty green olives, and a bit of spice, it’s perfect to serve for special occasions or for dinner when the temperature drops.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s an authentic Guatemalan version of the classic Basque dish.
- It features no artificial additives, flavour enhancers or colours.
- The battered salted cod is deliciously crispy on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside.
- The delicate flavour of the fish in this bacalao recipe makes it popular even among people who aren’t familiar with salted cod!
What is Bacalao a la Vizcaina?
Bacalao a la Vizcaina is a delicious Spanish salt cod dish from the Basque region of Spain. It’s also very popular in Mexico, Guatemala and throughout Latin America.
A top spot to enjoy this traditional Basque-stye dish at its source is Bilbao’s historic city centre. Begin with tapas followed by steaming bowls of this authentic local stew featuring the region’s signature Espelette pepper.
Throughout Latin America, bacalao Spanish-style is especially popular for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter Sunday. But you can enjoy it any time of the year.
It’s a must-eat during Lent when Guatemalans purchase the thin slabs of pescado seco (dried cod) in the mercados around Antigua and other towns in Guatemala.
It’s one of the top dishes my Guatemalan mother-in-law makes before her pilgrimage to the shrine of the Black Christ at the Basilica in Esquipulas Guatemala each Easter.
This recipe for Bacalao a la Vizcaina features battered salt cod known as pescado seco envuelto en huevo which is how it’s served in Guatemala while the traditional Basque recipe uses salt cod without a batter.
For another popular variation of this bacalao recipe, in Mexico the salt cod isn’t battered but is cooked in the sauce and then shredded.
Travel Tip: Check out our complete guide to the Best Festivals and Celebrations in Guatemala and sample this dish in Guatemala during Semana Santa.
How to Buy and Soak Salt Cod
There are a few keys to success when making bacalao. I’ve made some mistakes along the way that I’m sharing with you so you get it right the first time.
- Soak the salt cod in advance. When I visited the fish market in Punta Delgada in the Azores, I learned that it’s best to begin the process four days in advance.
- Start your salt cod shopping early. The key is choosing salt cod is to purchase a piece of fish that isn’t too thin. You don’t want to buy only the tail. Instead, look for a middle piece of the filet. Shop early as the ideal sizes disappear quickly and you may be left with filets of salt cod as large as yoga mats.
When you’re ready to get started with the process of soaking:
- Place the salt cod in a rectangular glass Pyrex dish and cover it with cool water. Place it in the refrigerator and allow it to soak in the water for 24 hours.
- Drain off the salty water, add more fresh cool water and return to the refrigerator.
- Repeat this process every day until you are ready to prepare the dish.
💡 Another fantastic way to enjoy extra salted cod, is to use it up in this easy Mediterranean recipe for esqueixada de bacalao. This marinated cod salad is a popular dish on tapas menus in Barcelona.
Ingredients for Bacalao Recipe
Making this salt cod stew requires a few special ingredients that you may not be as familiar with using. Here are the highlights but you will find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card.
- Dried salt cod: Look for slabs of salt cod in your local fish market, grocery store fish section, or a Portuguese, Caribbean, and Italian specialty grocer. It’s likely to be in baskets in front of refrigerated displays. You want to choose deboned and skinless. Avoid buying shredded salt cod that’s been presoaked.
- Achiote: A seed with a musky flavor that comes from the annatto tree. Look for it in Spanish or Latin American markets.
- Green pitted olives: A classic in many Spanish and Latin American dishes. It gives a nice briny contrast and flavor to the stew that goes well with the salt cod.
- Veggies and aromatics: Onion, garlic, fresh Roma tomatoes, and potatoes. It’s possible to substitute canned tomatoes. I recommend San Marzano plum tomatoes as they are the sweetest but any good quality brand of canned tomatoes will work well.
- Espelette pepper: A special pepper that’s grown in the Basque region of France. You can substitute cayenne, Aleppo pepper or hot (unsmoked) paprika.
How to Make Bacalao a la Vizcaina
There’s a little bit of planning and prep to making this traditional salt cod stew, but let’s go through it step by step.
- After soaking the salt cod and draining it, dry it thoroughly between layers of paper towels or tea towels.
- Prepare the batter, then dip each piece of salt cod in the batter.
- Fry the pieces of fish in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until the batter is nicely browned.
- While the fish is browning, dice the potatoes and cook them in boiling water until soft but not mushy.
- Prepare the tomato sauce by chopping the peeled Roma tomatoes (or use canned tomatoes) into pieces.
- Puree the onion, garlic, tomatoes and water in a food processor until it reaches a fine consistency.
- Saute the tomato mixture in a frying pan along with the bay leaf, thyme, Espelette pepper and achiote, bringing the mixture to a low boil.
TOP TIP: It’s also possible to prepare the tomato sauce in advance. If you’ve prepared it in advance, just pour it into a deep frying pan and bring to a low simmer.
- Cover and allow the tomato sauce to simmer.
- Once you’ve finished frying the battered cod, add the cooked potatoes, olives and salt cod in batter to the tomato sauce. Heat thoroughly for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped fresh parsley.
TOP TIP: Serve Bacalao a la Vizcaina immediately so the batter doesn’t soak up too much of the sauce and get soggy.
Tips for Making Salted Cod Stew
- Speed up the soaking of the salt cod by using slightly warmer water.
- The tomato sauce can be prepared in advance and reheated when you’re ready to add the fish and olives.
- Cut the salt cod into pieces about the size of the palm of your hand or smaller.
- Trim off any visible bones.
- The batter for pescado seco envuelto en huevo for this recipe is the same one used to make chile rellenos (stuffed peppers) so it’s worth learning.
- Once you’ve made the batter, use it immediately. If you allow it to sit, it begins to separate and loses its volume.
- Enjoy as part of a Christmas or New Year’s Eve Menu with ponche de frutas, a hot holiday fruit punch. It also goes well with arroz verde, a light and fluffy spinach rice pilaf.
If you love the flavours of this dish you might also enjoy this other Spanish-inspired dish, Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Stew.
Or, for a hands-on experience take a seafood paella cooking class in Barcelona.
FAQs
Yes, you can! The fresh fish variation is known as Pescado a la Vizcaina and is very popular in Guatemala. It’s a great option if you can’t find salt cod, or don’t have time to soak and drain the salt cod multiple times.
Substitute a firm, white fish for the salt cod. Be sure to select a fish that is firm enough to be battered. Haddock is a good option as it’s thick and will hold its shape well. Sole, tilapia and basa are all too thin and soft.
Just keep in mind, the process of drying and salting cod both preserves and intensifies the flavour of cod so by making the swap the stew will taste different.
They are both good but the salted cod will have a more intense flavor than the fresh fish.
The salted cod is preserved so it doesn’t need to be refrigerated in its dried form but once the water has been added to start soaking the cod it should be done under refrigeration.
Other Fish and Seafood Recipes to Try
- Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Halibut with Fresh Peach Salsa
- Lobster Fettuccine in Herbed Cream Sauce
- Salmon Impossible Pie
- Cream of Sardine Pate – A Recipe by Basque Chef Martin Berasategui
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a comment further down if you REALLY like it. Thanks!
Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Spanish-style Salt Cod in Batter)
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large piece dried salt cod
- 2 eggs
- 4 Tablespoons white flour
- ⅛ teaspoon achiote
- 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 potatoes chopped into pieces and cooked until soft but not soggy
- ½ cup green pitted olives
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 raw onion chopped
- 1 clove peeled garlic
- 2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes peeled or canned tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon achiote
- ⅛ teaspoon thyme
- ⅛ tsp Espelette pepper or cayenne, Aleppo or hot paprika
- handful chopped parsley
Instructions
- Begin soaking the whole piece of salt cod in water three days prior to the day you want to prepare the dish
- Replace the water daily and be sure to cover the salt cod completely. Place it into the refrigerator while it's soaking
- Puree the onion, garlic, tomato and water in a food processor until a fine consistency
- Pour a tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan and add the tomato sauce, herbs, Espelette pepper and achiote.
- Simmer the sauce while preparing and cooking the cod
- Drain, rinse, pat dry and then cut the salt cod into pieces about 3 x 3 inches square. The sizes of the pieces will vary based on the shape of the fish
- Sprinkle the fish with two tablespoons of flour and pepper
- Separate egg whites and beat until stiff
- Beat egg yolks until creamy
- Combine egg whites, egg yolks, two tablespoons of flour, achiote and pepper, beating for a minute or two until batter is creamy
- Heat five tablespoons of oil in a frying pan until it reaches a medium high temperature
- Dip each piece of salt cod in batter and fry in oil until browned (3 minutes), then remove and allow it to drain on paper towels.
- Repeat until all the fish is cooked. Try to work quickly so the batter doesn’t begin to separate.
- Place the fish in the tomato sauce and add the potatoes and olives
- Cover and heat thoroughly at a medium temperature (5-10 minutes)
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve
Notes
- Speed up the soaking of the salt cod by using slightly warmer water.
- The tomato sauce can be prepared in advance and reheated when you’re ready to add the fish and olives.
- Cut the salt cod into pieces about the size of the palm of your hand or smaller.
- Trim away any visible bones.
- The batter for pescado seco envuelto en huevo for this recipe is the same one used to make chile rellenos (stuffed peppers) so it’s worth learning.
- Once you’ve made the batter, use it immediately. If you allow it to sit, it begins to separate and loses its volume.
- Enjoy as part of a Christmas or New Year’s Eve Menu with ponche de frutas, a hot holiday fruit punch. It also goes well with arroz verde, a light and fluffy spinach rice pilaf.
Nutrition
This recipe and post was originally published in 2017 but was substantially updated with new photos and additional instructions in December 2022.
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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.
Read more about Michele Peterson.
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Nora
Yum! This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for the recipe!
Alexandra
This is the perfect dish for a celebration, and we will be enjoying it over the Easter long weekend. Lovee this delicious, flavorsome recipe!
DK
Wow – this recipe may take a little bit of work, but the result is absolutely worth it! The cod was just delightful and the tomato sauce is superb!
nancy
i had this cod stew ages ago at a friends house. It was so tasty but they have since moved. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Marianne
The batter made the texture amazing. It was like eating clouds of fish that was crispy upon biting but soft and airy while chewing.
I added a little white wine to the sauce, just to add a little flavor. But this recipe is so good.
Michele Peterson
Thanks for your feedback, Marianne. What a wonderful description of the batter! The wine sounds like a great addition.