If salt cod (bacalhau) has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 18 recipes to try it in.

What is salt cod (bacalhau)?

Salt cod is cod that has been split open, packed in salt, then dried until it is stiff as a board. It keeps for months without refrigeration.

The Portuguese call it bacalhau and the Spanish bacalao, and it anchors a deep tradition of dishes around the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Before refrigeration, this was how cod traveled inland and across oceans.

The salt pulls out moisture and the flavor concentrates. Rehydrated salt cod tastes firmer and more savory than fresh cod ever does.

You cannot cook it straight from the package. Every piece needs a long soak first to soften the flesh and pull the salt down to something edible.

How to Soak and Use It

Rinse the surface salt off, then submerge the cod in cold water in the fridge. Soak it for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times a day.

Thick center cuts need the full 48 hours; thin tail pieces are ready sooner. Taste a sliver near the end. It should be pleasantly salty, not harsh.

Skipping a water change or rushing the soak is the usual mistake. It leaves the dish inedibly salty with no way to fix it after cooking.

Once soaked, poach the fish gently in water or milk for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it flakes. Drain it, then pull the flesh apart with your fingers, discarding any skin and bones.

Those flakes are the building block for everything. Fold them into mashed potato and fry the mixture into Fresh & Salt Cod Cakes, or layer them into a Casserole of Salt Cod & Potatoes. The shredded version carries the famous Bacalhau 'a Bras, bound with matchstick potatoes and softly scrambled egg.

Cooking and Pairing

Salt cod loves starch and richness, which round out its concentrated flavor. Potatoes are its constant partner, along with olive oil, onions, garlic, and good bread to mop the plate.

Acid keeps it from feeling heavy. Tomatoes, olives, capers, roasted peppers, and a squeeze of lemon all cut through. The Spanish Bacalao and Bacalao a la Viscaina build exactly this kind of bright, tomato-and-pepper braise around the fish.

Whipped with warm olive oil and a little cream, the poached flakes become brandade, a smooth spread for toast. Eggs are another natural match, from a simple Codfish Omelet to the scrambled-egg base of bacalhau dishes.

One mistake to avoid: do not salt the finished dish before you taste it. Even well-soaked cod carries seasoning of its own, so season the rest of the pot lightly and adjust only at the end.

Substitutes

Nothing fully replaces salt cod's firm, concentrated character, but you have good options. Other salt-cured white fish such as salt pollock or salt ling soak and flake the same way and stand in cleanly.

For a quicker route, salt fresh cod yourself. Cover thick fillets in coarse salt for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge, then rinse and use. The texture stays softer than true salt cod, but the firmer, seasoned flesh gets you close.

In a pinch, fresh cod or another firm white fish such as haddock works in the cooked dishes, poached and flaked the same way. Just season the dish properly, since you lose the built-in salt and the deeper cured flavor.

Buying and Storing

Salt cod is sold as stiff, pale, dried slabs, often boxed or in the refrigerated case near other preserved fish. Look for thick, evenly white pieces with a clean smell. Yellowing or a strong off odor means it is old.

Center-cut loin pieces give the best meaty flakes. Bonier tail ends are fine for soups and stews.

Dried and unopened, it keeps for months in a cool, dry cupboard, and longer still in the fridge or freezer. Wrap an opened package tightly so it does not pick up other smells.

Once you have soaked the cod, treat it like fresh fish. Keep it cold and cook it within a day or two, or freeze the soaked flesh for up to a couple of months.

Cooked dishes hold 3 to 4 days in the fridge and often taste better the next day.

Quick facts

Where to find salt cod (bacalhau): Salt cod (bacalhau) is usually found in the fish section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

鳕鱼

British (UK) term

Salt cod (bacalhau)

en français

la morue salée

en español

bacalao

Recipes using salt cod (bacalhau)

There are 18 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 18 recipes