How to Cook Salted Cod

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: May 19, 2022 Tested

If you're trying to eat more fish but stick to a budget, look for salt cod. This inexpensive preserved fish rehydrates within a few days and then you can use it in your favorite fish recipe. Try simmering salt cod in a fresh herb and tomato sauce for an Italian favorite. Or coat the salt cod in batter and fry it until it's golden brown and crispy. To make a complete meal, cook bell peppers, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in a skillet before adding the cod. Serve the salt cod with vegetables over steamed rice and enjoy.

Ingredients

Salt Cod with Tomatoes and Capers^{[1]
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2 pounds (0.91 kg) of salt cod
2 tablespoons (17 g) of capers
7 tablespoons (100 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups (225 g) of diced onion
4 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) of red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce (794 g) can of whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 cup (5 g) of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (5 g) plus 1 tablespoon (1 g) of fresh mint, coarsely chopped and divided

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Deep-Fried Salt Cod^{[2]
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2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk
1 cup (240 ml) of water
2 pinches of salt
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of baking soda
Flour as needed
1 pound (450 g) piece of salt cod
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Makes 1 pound (450 g) of fish

Salt Cod with Potatoes over Rice^{[3]
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in (1.3 cm) pieces
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon (16 g) of tomato paste
1 cup (240 ml) of water
Steamed rice, to serve
1 tablespoon (3.5 g) of chopped fresh parsley
1 pound (450 g) of salt cod

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Soaking the Salt Cod for Any Recipe

1
Put salt cod and water in a storage container. Lay whole salt cold or pieces of salt cod into a storage container. Pour in enough water to cover the fish by 2 in (5 cm).^{[4]
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- The water will rehydrate the fish and make it less salty.
2
Refrigerate the fish in water for 1 to 3 days. Cover the container and put the fish in water into the refrigerator. Change the water 3 times each day so the water can draw the salt out of the cod.^{[5]
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- To change the water, pour out the water that's in the container with the fish and fill it up with fresh water.
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3
Drain and rinse the fish. Once the fish is as soft as you like and has lost most of its saltiness, pour out the water. Remove the fish from the container and rinse it under clean water. This will rinse off excess salt that's left on the fish.^{[6]
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- You can now use the salt cod in your recipe.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Salt Cod with Tomatoes and Capers

1
Sauté diced onion over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of the extra-virgin olive oil into a large pot and turn the burner to medium. Once the oil shimmers, stir in 1 1/2 cups (225 g) of diced onion. Cook the onion until it softens a little and becomes clear.
- Stir the onion frequently to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
2
Stir in the red pepper flakes, capers, salt, and tomatoes in their juice. Add 2 tablespoons (17 g) of capers to the pot along with 4 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) of red pepper flakes, 1 28-ounce (794 g) can of whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, and 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of kosher or coarse sea salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- If you can't find the San Marzano variety of tomatoes, use any variety of canned whole tomatoes.
3
Crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Use the back of a large wooden spoon to push against each of the whole tomatoes. This should crush the tomatoes a little, so they release some of the juice that's still inside them.
- If you prefer, use your hands to crush the tomatoes before you stir them into the pot.
4
Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the salt cod. Turn the burner up to medium-high so the tomato juice begins to bubble. Then turn it back down to medium so it simmers gently and lay 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of salt cod into the pot.
- Leave the fish whole or in large pieces, if that's how you purchased it.
5
Stir in the parsley and mint. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup (5 g) of fresh flat-leaf parsley and 1/4 cup (5 g) of fresh mint. Stir the herbs into the pot and then spoon some of the tomato herb sauce over the salt cod.
6
Simmer the salt cod for 5 minutes. Let the salt cod bubble gently until it's completely hot and flakes apart easily. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Leave the lid off of the pot so some of the liquid evaporates and helps the sauce thicken a little.
7
Remove the salt cod and stir 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of oil into the sauce. Turn off the burner and transfer the salt cod to your serving platter. Add 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of the remaining extra-virgin olive oil to the sauce and stir until the oil is incorporated.
8
Cover the fish with the sauce and top it with the remaining mint and oil. Slowly pour the tomato herb sauce directly over the salt cod on the platter. Scatter the remaining 1 tablespoon (1 g) of coarsely chopped mint over the fish. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil over and serve the salt cod warm or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Deep-Fried Salt Cod

1
Pat the fish dry and cut it into 2 to 3 pieces. Remove a 1 pound (450 g) piece of soaked salt cod and rinse it with fresh water. Pat both sides of the fish completely dry with paper towels. Then put it on a cutting board and cut the fish into 2 to 3 chunks that are about 3 in (7.5 cm) long.
- If you have a few smaller fish, consider frying them whole or just cut them in half to get 2 pieces.
2
Whisk the milk, water, salt, and baking soda. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk and 1 cup (240 ml) of water into a shallow bowl. Whisk in 2 pinches of salt and 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of baking soda. Keep whisking until the baking soda is dissolved.
- The baking soda will help the batter crisp as it fries.
3
Whisk in 1 tablespoon (8 g) of flour at a time to make a batter. Add 1 tablespoon (8 g) of flour to the batter and whisk it constantly. Continue to add the flour by the spoonful and whisk for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture looks like pancake batter.
- Whisk vigorously to prevent any flour lumps from forming.
- The batter should look like white school glue once you've added enough flour.
4
Heat 1 in (2.5 cm) of oil over medium-high. Pour enough vegetable oil into a pot so it comes 1 in (2.5 cm) up the sides. Turn on the burner to medium-high and let the oil heat for several minutes. It should begin to shimmer once it's hot.
5
Dip the salt cod into the batter. Place the pieces of salt cod into the batter and turn them over so they're completely coated with the batter. Lift each piece up and let excess batter drip back into the bowl.
- If the batter is so thin that it's all running off of the fish, whisk in another spoonful of flour to thicken it up.
6
Fry half of the fish in the hot oil for 4 to 6 minutes. Slowly lower half of the battered salt cod into the hot oil and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Then use long tongs to carefully turn each piece over. Cook them for another 2 to 3 minutes so they're completely browned on both sides.
- If the fish is thin, you may need less frying time.
7
Lay the fried fish on a paper-towel lined plate. Once the fish is completely cooked and flaky, use the tongs to remove them from the pot. Place them on a paper-towel lined plate which will absorb some of the grease. Let the oil become hot again and then fry the remaining pieces of battered salt cod.
- It's important to let the oil heat up again before adding the remaining fish. If the oil isn't hot enough, the fish will absorb more of the oil and will be soggy instead of crisp.
8
Serve the fried salt cod. Turn off the burner and remove the rest of the fried fish from the pot. Serve the fried salt cod immediately with salt and slices of lemon on the side.
- Avoid storing leftover salt cod because it will become soggy as it's stored.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Salt Cod with Potatoes over Rice

1
Cut the soaked salt cod into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces. Remove 1 pound (450 g) of soaked salt cod and rinse it under fresh water. Then lay the fish on a cutting board and cut it into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Set the fish aside while you prepare the potatoes.
2
Cook the diced potato over medium-high for 2 minutes. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil into a large skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. Once the oil shimmers, add 1 diced russet potato. Cook and stir the potatoes occasionally.
- The potato pieces should brown a little on every side, so it's important to stir them.
3
Add pepper, onion, celery, and garlic and sauté them for 3 to 4 minutes. Dice 1 bell pepper, 1/2 of an onion, and 1 stalk of celery. Add these to the skillet along with 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir the vegetables occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
4
Stir in 2 tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of water into the skillet and stir in 2 diced tomatoes along with 1 tablespoon (16 g) of tomato paste.
- Stir until the tomato paste is dissolved in the water.
5
Add the salt cod and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Once the water begins to bubble, add the salt cod pieces to the skillet. Cover the skillet and turn the burner down to medium so the water bubbles gently. Simmer the salt cod for 15 minutes.
- The potatoes should become tender once they've finished cooking.
- You may need to adjust the heat as the mixture cooks to prevent it from boiling.
6
Stir in parsley and serve the salt cod with cooked rice. Turn off the burner and stir in 1 tablespoon (3.5 g) of chopped fresh parsley. Then serve the salt cod with steamed rice.
- Refrigerate the leftover salt cod with potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.