Bacalao Salad

Bacalao Salad was always a staple in my home growing up. The salt cod that is used in this recipe needs to be soaked overnight, drained, then boiled to really get the salt out. Be sure to pick the freshest avocados for this dish, it really makes a world of difference.


Bacalao Salad

2 lbs. Salted Cod, rinsed, then soaked overnight in cold water
1 Large, Ripe (but firm) Avocado, sliced into wedges
2 Firm Tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Hard-boiled Eggs, cooled and peeled
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably Goya Spanish Olive oil, and yes, there's a difference)
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
Juice of 1 Lemon (1/4 cup)

Drain the salted cod that was soaked overnight, and boil for 30 minutes. Drain out the water and let it cool.
Saute the red onion slices and minced garlic in 2 tsps. of the olive oil, for 2 minutes. Add the black pepper and salt. Set aside.
Combine in a bowl, the avocados, tomatoes, and the lemon juice. Add the sauted onion and garlic mixture as well as the remaining olive oil.
Slice the hard boiled eggs and flake the cooled salt cod with a fork. Add the two into the bowl with all of the other ingredients. Fold all of the ingredients together gently, with salad forks. Garnish with chopped cilantro, or parsley, and serve.

*Traditionally, my mother always made this dish over boiled vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, batatas, yuca, green bananas, and yautia. You can also add shrimp to change it up a bit.