Bacallà
Salt-cured Atlantic cod. The backbone of Catalan, Basque and inland-Spanish cooking for centuries; soaked in water before use, then prepared a hundred different ways.
Bacallà (Catalan), bacalao (Castilian) is salt-cured cod, dry and stiff in its preserved state and the foundation of much of Spain's traditional cooking. Basque whalers fishing the North Atlantic from the 14th century onward salted the cod aboard for the trip home; the salting let it travel hundreds of miles inland, which is why it became central in landlocked Catalan and Castilian kitchens too. Cooks soak it in cold water for 24 to 48 hours to draw out the salt, then prepare it in dozens of ways: raw and torn (esqueixada), oven-baked with tomato (a la llauna), pureed with oil and garlic (brandada), cooked in pil-pil emulsion, fried with vegetables (samfaina). Lent traditions across Catalonia made bacallà the default fish for fasting weeks.
How it's served
Always soaked first to remove salt. The finished dish takes many forms: raw and torn in esqueixada, baked in a tin a la llauna, whipped into brandada de bacallà, simmered in pil-pil. Restaurants specializing in bacallà often list 10-15 preparations.
Regional variation
Catalan kitchens lean on raw bacallà preparations (esqueixada) and slow-roasted ones (a la llauna). Basque kitchens use the pil-pil emulsion or stew it with peppers (vizcaína). Castilian cooking pairs it with chickpeas. The fish is the same; the technique varies enormously by region.
- Origin
- Atlantic (Basque whaling routes, traded across Catalonia from the Middle Ages)
- Etymology
- Catalan word; Castilian Spanish bacalao, both from medieval Latin baccalaurus.
- Also called
- bacalao
Where to try it in Barcelona
3 restaurants on Guidavera mention bacallà in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What is bacallà?
Salt-cured Atlantic cod, dried and preserved for long storage and transport. The Catalan word; the Castilian Spanish is bacalao. Used across Spain in dozens of preparations after being soaked in cold water for 24 to 48 hours to draw out the salt.
Why is salt cod so important in Spanish cooking?
Salt-curing let Basque fishermen bring Atlantic cod inland to Catalonia and Castile centuries before refrigeration. By the Middle Ages, bacallà was the default protein for Lent and other Catholic fasting periods. The fish stayed central in the cuisine even after refrigeration made fresh fish possible.
Do you have to soak bacallà before cooking?
Yes, always. Salt cod is preserved at far above edible salt levels and needs 24 to 48 hours of soaking in cold water (with the water changed every 8 hours or so) before cooking. Most restaurants buy it pre-soaked and ready to cook; the home version requires the wait.
Related terms
- EsqueixadaA cold Catalan summer salad of shredded raw salt cod with tomato, onion, peppers and olives. Never cooked.
- Al pil-pilBasque emulsion technique where salt cod and olive oil are swirled together off-heat until the gelatin from the fish thickens the oil into a glossy yellow sauce.
- EscabecheCooking and then storing food, usually fish or game birds, in a warm vinegar-based marinade with oil, bay, peppercorns and garlic.
- FinoDry, pale, bone-dry sherry aged under a protective layer of yeast called flor. The lightest end of the sherry family.
- KokotxasThe small gelatinous chin pockets of hake or cod. A Basque specialty, cooked in pil-pil emulsion or briefly in garlic and oil.
- SamfainaCatalan vegetable stew of onion, aubergine, courgette, pepper and tomato slow-cooked together. Used as a side or as a sauce for bacallà, rabbit and chicken.