Seafood Dishes

Bacalao guisado is a traditional fish stew originating from the Dominican Republic. Although there are a few versions, including the one with potatoes (bacalao guisado con papa), this version is usually made with a combination of salted cod, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, olive oil, and tomato paste. The salted cod should be desalinated and rehydrated by soaking it overnight in cold water. It is then shortly boiled and set aside for later. The onions, garlic, and peppers are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil, then mixed with the tomatoes, tomato paste, and cod. The stew is simmered for a few more minutes and then it's ready to be served. Bacalao guisado (lit. stewed cod) is especially popular during Lent. It's recommended to serve the dish with moro (Dominican rice and beans) on the side.

Bacalao guisado

Cod-based dishes are a Portuguese staple, and it is often suggested that there are more than one thousand recipes in which dried and salted cod is the star ingredient. This includes simple, everyday dishes, as well as more elaborate versions that are usually served on special occasions, including Christmas Eve and Good Friday. Interestingly, cod is traditionally not caught off the Portuguese coast, but it became a prominent ingredient in the traditional cuisine during the exploration era because it could be stored for longer periods. Salted cod is primarily soaked in water, and later it can be used in a variety of ways, which include grilling, cooking, frying, or braising. Some of the most popular salt cod dishes in Portugal include crispy bolinhos de bacalhau fritters, creamy bacalhau com natas, Lisbon's favorite bacalhau a bras, and a Christmas Eve staple bacalhau com todos.

Bacalhau

Portugal

As the name suggests, this simple cod-based dish hails from Algarve. It consists of salt cod that is soaked before it is dusted with flour and pan-fried in olive oil. The cod is served topped with saut&eacute;ed onions and garlic, while thick slices of boiled potatoes are served on the side. The dish is typically sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Bacalhau à Algarvia

Bacalhau &agrave; bras is a simple Portuguese dish consisting of cooked and shredded salt cod, fried potato strips, onions, eggs, and olives. A delicious combination of flavors and textures results in an incredibly satisfying dish that is popular throughout the country. It is usually garnished with parsley and served hot, while the potatoes are still crispy. Believed to have originated in the Lisbon quarter Bairro Alto, today bacalhau &agrave; bras is one of the most famous Portuguese salt cod dishes.

Bacalhau à brás

Traditionally prepared for every Christmas Eve dinner in Portugal, bacalhau &agrave; Gomes de S&aacute; is a festive dish made with salt cod, potatoes, and onions. Those key ingredients are layered in a pan, topped with hard-boiled egg slices, baked, then garnished with olives and chopped parsley. The dish is typically dressed with olive oil and flavored with chopped garlic. It is believed that the dish was invented by Jos&eacute; Luis Gomes de S&aacute;, who was the son of a well-off 19th-century cod trader. The new dish was derived from bolinhos de bacalhau (cod fish cakes), only without the flour, so Jos&eacute;, who had financial difficulties at the time, sold the recipe to the owner of Restaurante Lisbonense, and the dish quickly gained popularity throughout Portugal.

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá

This simple dish is one of the most common preparations of salt cod in Portugal. It consists of baked or boiled potatoes that are partially crushed and then salted before they are topped with previously soaked cod that has been grilled or baked separately. The dish is then served doused in olive oil, and it is usually topped with saut&eacute;ed onions or garlic, red peppers, black olives, or fresh parsley. The origin of the dish is typically associated with the Beira region, but nowadays it is commonly enjoyed throughout the country.

Bacalhau à lagareiro

Bacalhau &agrave; Z&eacute; do Pipo is a traditional dish consisting of cod that has been boiled in milk, onions, mashed potatoes, and mayonnaise. The dish is typically baked in an oven as a casserole, after which it is often garnished with olives and peppers. It is named after its creator, Z&eacute; do Pipo, who was the owner of a popular restaurant in Porto during the 1960s and won a national cooking contest with this delicious dish. Ever since that time, restaurants throughout the country adopted his recipe and bacalhau &agrave; Z&eacute; do Pipo quickly gained popularity.

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

This complex Portuguese dish consists of salt cod fillets that are slowly cooked in milk, then topped with saut&eacute;ed onions and a crumbly mixture of Portuguese cornmeal bread (broa), garlic, parsley, egg yolks, and olive oil. During baking, the broa mixture keeps the fish moist and succulent and transforms into a crisp golden crust. The whole combination is usually topped with olives and a drizzle of olive oil. The dish is best served alongside potatoes and a glass of Portuguese red wine.

Bacalhau com broa

Bacalhau com natas is one of the most famous Portuguese dishes made with salted cod. The dish is a combination of soaked or boiled cod topped with diced fried potatoes, generously doused with cream and baked until golden brown in color. Since it is extremely popular, it appears in numerous versions. The dish often incorporates onions, b&eacute;chamel sauce instead of cream, cheese, white wine, and a variety of spices. A staple restaurant dish, bacalhau com natas is also an indispensable part of Portuguese Christmas tradition.

Bacalhau com natas

Bacalhau com todos is a festive Portuguese dish that is traditionally prepared every Christmas Eve and served for dinner. Literally translated to cod with everything, the dish is made with boiled cod, hard-boiled egg slices, and vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, and potatoes. The dish is typically dressed with a generous drizzle of olive oil and white vinegar, while it is often flavored with garlic and garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Bacalhau com todos

Spain

Bacall&agrave; a la llauna is a traditional fish dish originating from Barcelona and dating back to the 19th century. The dish is made with a combination of salt cod, flour, garlic, paprika or piment&oacute;n, parsley, and olive oil. The salt cod is desalted, drained, dried, and the fillets are then dredged in flour and fried in olive oil until golden and not falling apart. The garlic is saut&eacute;ed in oil, and the paprika or piment&oacute;n is then fried in the same oil. Both are spooned over the fish and the dish is placed in a llauna &ndash; a rectangular pan with low and straight sides (alternatively, use a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet). The dish is baked for a few minutes and then served immediately with chopped parsley and the garlicky sauce spooned over it.

Bacallà a la llauna

Italy

Baccal&agrave; alla Maremmana is a traditional dish from the Maremma region in Tuscany. It features salted cod (baccal&agrave;) prepared in a rich tomato-based sauce with various vegetables and aromatic herbs. The preparation of baccal&agrave; alla Maremmana typically involves soaking the salted cod in water for at least 24 hours, changing the water several times to remove excess salt and rehydrate the fish. Once the cod is ready, it is usually cut into pieces and lightly fried or simply cooked in the sauce. The sauce is made by saut&eacute;ing onions and garlic in olive oil, then adding chopped tomatoes, herbs, and sometimes tomato paste. The cod is then simmered in this rich, savory sauce until it is tender and fully infused with the flavors of the tomatoes and herbs. Baccal&agrave; alla Maremmana is typically served hot, often with crusty bread or polenta to soak up the delicious sauce. It is a comforting and satisfying dish that exemplifies the use of simple, high-quality ingredients to create a meal that is both nutritious and full of flavor.

Baccalà alla Maremmana

The famed signature dish of Vicenza, baccal&agrave; alla Vicentina is made with stoccafisso (lit. stockfish), which refers to a cod that is not salted but air-dried until almost rock-hard, and requires several days of soaking before being cooked. Stockfish was first introduced to the region back in 1432 by Pietro Querini, a Venetian merchant whose ship wrecked off the coast of Norway. The crew was saved, reaching the island of R&oslash;st where stockfish was very common, so the merchants brought some of this peculiar dried fish back home to Vicenza. The Venetians embraced this new ingredient as an alternative to the expensive and easily perishable fresh fish and eventually came up with their own recipe: codfish Vicenza-style, slowly simmered in milk flavored with a savory soffritto base of garlic, onions, and anchovies. Over the long cooking hours, stockfish meat becomes amazingly tender, while milk tends to soften the typical strong taste and aroma of dried cod. Baccal&agrave; alla Vicentina is traditionally served over soft polenta and it is recommended to pair it with local white wines such as Soave.

Baccalà alla Vicentina

This traditional anchovy soup hails from Liguria, more specifically from the Sestri Levante comune. The base of the soup is created with onions, garlic, and parsley that are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil and then slowly simmered alongside tomatoes, basil, and a touch of white wine. Thoroughly cleaned anchovies are then submerged in the tomato base, and due to its tender consistency, the dish should never be stirred. Bagnun originated as a simple and frugal fishermen&rsquo;s meal that was quickly prepared after a long day at sea. In the past, it was usually associated with the summer season, but nowadays it is enjoyed all year round, typically accompanied by rustic, country-style bread.

Bagnun

Bahamian boiled fish is a traditional dish originating from the Bahamas. It consists of flaky and tender white fish that's paired with potatoes, lime, and spices. The dish is usually made with a combination of white fish such as Nassau grouper, lime juice, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, garlic, butter, hot peppers such as habaneros, allspice, salt, pepper, onions, celery, and potatoes. The combination of these ingredients is simmered until the fish begins to flake off the bone. The dish is then seasoned with salt and pepper and served, traditionally with a side of grits or johnnycakes. There are many variations on boiled fish, so it's not uncommon to see cabbage or plantains in the pot. The dish is especially popular during family gatherings, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Throughout the year, it can be found on breakfast menus in local restaurants and food carts.

Bahamian Boiled Fish

Bahamian crab soup is a traditional soup originating from the Bahamas. Although there are a few versions, the soup is usually made with a combination of crabs, oil, onions, flour, rice, tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper, and vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. The onions, tomato paste, and flour are cooked in oil until the onions are golden brown. Crabmeat with claws is added to the pot and cooked for a minute before water is poured over the mixture and a few tablespoons of rice and chopped vegetables are added to the soup. After about two hours, this Bahamian soup is ready to be enjoyed.

Bahamian Crab Soup

Bahamian stewed conch is a traditional seafood stew originating from the Bahamas. It's often made with a combination of large conch, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, lime juice, thyme, oil, flour, tomato paste, ketchup, red pepper flakes, and seasonings. The conch meat is tenderized and stewed with the rest of the ingredients until the potatoes and the conch are both tender. Once done, the stew is served with lime wedges, johnnycakes, or bread. This dish is one of the most popular comfort foods during the winter season in the Bahamas. If desired, the conch can be replaced with rock lobster meat, while butter, bacon, or sweet potatoes can all be added to the dish for extra flavor and texture.

Bahamian Stewed Conch

This Bahamian fish stew is made with flour, onions, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, oil, and fish such as snapper or grouper. The fish is first browned, then combined with flour which has been browned in oil, onions, spices, carrots, potatoes, and tomato paste. The concoction is then simmered until the fish is tender and fully cooked. It is recommended to serve this stew with homemade bread or johnny cakes on the side.

Bahamian Stew Fish

Croatia

Bakalar po domaću is a traditional fish dish originating from Kvarner and Istria. The dish is usually made with a combination of dried cod, potatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The cod is soaked and cooked in boiling water. The potatoes are cut into slices, while the onions and tomatoes are chopped and saut&eacute;ed in olive oil with parsley and garlic. The potatoes, cod, and saut&eacute;ed vegetables are placed in the pot in alternating layers (the top layer is always potato), and then covered with cold water and simmered over low heat for five to six hours. The pot is occasionally shaken, and the dish is never stirred. Once done, the dish is seasoned with salt and pepper and served hot.

Bakalar po domaću

Baliq is a popular Azerbaijani kebab consisting of any firm, rich fish that is marinated, skewered, and grilled. In Azerbaijan, sturgeon from the Caspian Sea is the most common choice for baliq. The fish is divided into chunks, which are then typically marinated in a combination of chopped dill, lemon juice, and salt. This type of kebab is often served with sliced onions and tomatoes, and it is recommended to accompany it with lemon wedges on the side.