Yiayia Niki's bakaliaros plaki (baked cod) from Kalamata
serves
4
“We eat Niki’s flavour-rich dish in the dappled shade of her balcony, overlooking inky-blue water in the distance. The currants perfectly balance the salted cod, but if you’re not a fan of salt cod, I’ve also made this recipe with cod fillets and added salt myself. I’ve also made this into a plentiful vegan dish by omitting the fish and adding an extra potato and red capsicum.” – Anastasia Miari
Ingredients (16)
- 1kg salt cod or cod fillets
- Dried oregano, to taste
- 120ml olive oil
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 600g potatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 5 allspice berries
- 100g Zante currants (or currants)
- 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
- 500g tomatoes (can be tinned), quartered
- Bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (including the stalks)
- Bread (optional), to serve
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.If using salt cod, soak the fillets overnight in water, then the next day, rinse again under cold water, drain and squeeze the fillets to remove any excess water.
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2.Lay the fish flat in a baking dish and sprinkle with oregano, then set aside. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.
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3.Heat the oil in a large non-stick frypan with a lid over a high heat and fry the onions, garlic and potatoes for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, spices, currants and capsicum, along with a final sprinkling of oregano and 1/3 cup (80ml) of water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the potatoes don’t stick.
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4.If you’re using cod that hasn’t been salted, sprinkle in 1 tbs sea salt flakes at this point. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes with the lid on, then remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the cod in the baking dish.
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5.Sprinkle half the chopped parsley over the top and add 50ml water, then bake in the oven for 40 minutes. When cooked, garnish with remaining chopped parsley and serve with a slice of bread, if using, for soaking up the juices.
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