Esqueixada
A cold Catalan summer salad of shredded raw salt cod with tomato, onion, peppers and olives. Never cooked.
Esqueixada is built around bacallà, salt cod desalted in cold water for a day or two then torn by hand into rough strands. The cod stays raw. It's dressed with ripe tomato, sweet onion, red and green peppers, black olives, olive oil and a few drops of vinegar, and served chilled as a first course. The dish belongs to Catalonia's long bacallà tradition, which dates to the centuries when salted Atlantic cod was the most reliable protein a Mediterranean kitchen could lay hands on.
How it's served
Cold, as a starter, with toasted country bread on the side or rubbed with pa amb tomàquet underneath. Best eaten in summer when the tomatoes are at peak ripeness.
Regional variation
Some recipes add boiled egg or chickpeas, especially in inland Catalan villages where esqueixada doubles as a cool full meal. The coastal version stays minimal: cod, tomato, onion, pepper, olive.
- Origin
- Catalonia, Spain
- Etymology
- From the Catalan esqueixar ('to tear or shred by hand').
Frequently asked
Is the salt cod in esqueixada cooked?
No. It's desalted for 24 to 48 hours in cold water, then torn by hand into strips and dressed raw. The salt cure does the work of cooking, breaking the proteins down and seasoning the flesh through.
What does esqueixada mean in Catalan?
Esqueixar means 'to tear by hand,' which is how the salt cod gets its texture in this dish. You never cut the cod with a knife. Tearing follows the fibres and gives each strand a frayed edge that holds the dressing.
When is esqueixada in season?
Summer. The tomato and pepper are the load-bearing flavours, so the dish is at its best from June through September when both are local and ripe. Restaurants tend to drop it from the menu by October.
Related terms
- EscalivadaCatalan smoky vegetables: aubergine, red pepper, sometimes onion and tomato, all roasted whole, peeled and dressed with olive oil.
- Pa amb tomàquetCatalan bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, finished with olive oil and salt. Comes with almost every meal.
- BacallàSalt-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.