Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina honors our Spaniard roots while highlighting the flavors and ingredients from the island and the Caribbean.
Bacalao a la Vizcaina is on the Puerto Rican menu, especially during Lent, or "La Cuaresma," when we consume more fish and abstain from red meat, specifically on Fridays. Other recipes that could be served along with Bacalao a la Vizcaina and during Lent include Funche (Puerto Rican Grits), Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas), Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice) or Cauliflower Yellow Rice (if you want to add more vegetables and less carbs), and Caldo Santo (a coconut milk based seafood and root vegetable soup).
Not all the recipes should be fish-based for Lent. Try these sweet recipes this Easter season!!! Panetela (Guava Cakes), Polvorones, Budin de Pan (Bread Pudding), and Arroz con Dulce (Rice Pudding) are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
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What is Bacalao a la Vizcaina?
Traditional Bacalao a la Vizcaina does not "necessarily" call for tomatoes or potatoes, as this recipe does. Instead, it calls for choricero peppers, a dried pimento pepper used to make chorizo. The traditional recipe calls for both red and yellow onions, leeks, the pulp of the rehydrated choricero pepper, wine, brandy, and broth. In Spain they also have access to a thicker cut of salted cod, which makes for a steak-like piece of fish that flakes as you eat it.
The recipe changed when it arrived in the Americas. Both Mexico and Puerto Rico (and I believe Cuba and other Latin American countries) created similar recipes with tomatoes and potatoes. In Mexico, chili peppers are added, while Manzanilla olives, capers, and hard-boiled eggs are added in Puerto Rico. At least in Puerto Rico, we do not have as much access to a thicker cut of cod, rather a thin filet that tends to be heavy in salt. So instead of a flakier cut we end up with a shredded textured dish.
Although bacalao a la vizcaina in the Americas is not the same as its namesake, the recipe's name still honors its roots and traditions.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple: Relatively a simple recipe, considering the desalting element of the process.
- Flavorful: Traditional Puerto Rican ingredients make this recipe uniquely ours and full of flavor.
- Great for a lazy Sunday or a busy weekday: Maybe because that is when my family used to make this recipe, this recipe cooks in minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Cod: Salted cod can be a little tricky to use due to the amount of salt the fish is packed in, but with proper care, this dish could blow your tastebuds away.
- Tomatoes: A key ingredient to make Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina. Fresh or canned tomatoes add a bit of sweet tang to this dish.
- Potatoes: The potatoes are traditionally sliced thin because the recipe cooks rather fast, but the potatoes add a creamy texture that absorbs and balances any extra salt left in the cod.
- Sofrito: Sofrito is the common denominator of many Puerto Rican recipes, making them stand out from the rest. You can chop your sofrito ingredients fresh, or a couple of spoonfuls from your already-made sofrito will do the trick.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions
- Unsalted Fish: Instead of the dried-out salted cod, consider using a thick-cut juicy fillet of cod, halibut, haddock, or even sea bass. You will end up with an impressive presentation.
- Chorizo: If you are not making this recipe during Lent, add a few pieces of chorizo for added flavor.
- Choricero Pepper: Add a hint of tradition with a spoonful or two of choricero pepper pulp. This mild pepper is full of flavor.
Want to make bacalao a la vizcaina lower in carbs?
- Cauliflower: For an equally delicious veggie-forward dish, substitute the potatoes with cauliflower or zucchini, or a combination of both. You can also omit the potatoes altogether.
- Roasted Eggplant: Serve the Vizcaina over roasted eggplant. The roasted eggplant could also be mashed with roasted garlic and olive oil for enhanced flavor.
How to make Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this delicious stewed cod.
- Step 1: Soak cod in water for at least 4 hours to reduce salt. Drain and rinse well. See Top Tip for more info on desalting cod fish. Pat dry, then shred with your hands or forks—don’t leave it whole.
- Step 2: Warm the oil in a saucepan and saute the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Add sofrito and garlic paste.
- Step 4: Add the potatoes, diced tomatoes, olives, capers, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Step 5: Add broth. Since I didn't have fish stock, I used clam juice to heighten the seafood flavors. I used only half a cup of the juice.
- Step 6: Add shredded cod fish. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. We are bringing the cod to temperature.
- Step 7: The potatoes should be tender but still hold their shape.
Top Tip: Desalting Fish
To desalt overnight, rinse the fish, then soak in the fridge, changing the water every three to four hours. To desalt for same-day use, boil water. Rinse the fish, then place in a bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Cover the fish for 15 to 30 minutes. Dump the water, rinse the fish, and add hot water to cover it, letting it rest for another 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat as needed.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to add a splash of lemon juice or white wine for added flavor.
- Traditionally, this recipe calls for sliced potatoes. However, I have made it with diced potatoes, which also works.
- Fresh tomatoes work just as well as canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are already peeled and eliminates the loose tomato skin from the dish.
- This recipe can be done with a regular filet of white fish like haddock, cod, halibut, or sea bass. Yes, tilapia and catfish would work, too. If using an unsalted fish filet, sear the fish and set aside, then reincorporate it towards the end to finish cooking.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, in Viscaya or Biscay, this recipe is made with onions, leeks, garlic, and the pulp of the choricero peppers. In the Americans, the recipe is made with tomatoes, potatoes, olives, capers, and, in some countries, chili peppers
It depends. It depends on how salty the cod is and your taste. To desalt overnight, rinse the fish, then soak in the fridge, changing the water every three to four hours. To desalt for same-day use, boil water. Rinse the fish, then place in a bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Cover the fish for 15 to 30 minutes. Dump the water, rinse the fish, and add hot water to cover it, letting it rest for another 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat as needed.
Funche or Puerto Rican Grits, White Rice, and Yellow Rice are traditional side dishes, but the most traditional is guanimes, for which we will soon provide a recipe.
A la Vizcaina refers to cooking a recipe the way it is cooked in a specific region, in this case, the Basque region of Spain. It is the same term as saying Nashville Hot Chicken or Hojaldre Añasqueño.
More Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
- Tostones de Plátano (Puerto Rican Smashed Fried Plantains)
- Guineitos en Escabeche, Puerto Rican Pickled Green Bananas
- Guineos, Platanos, and Banana Leaves: Puerto Rican Staples
- Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito
I’d love to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Leave a review and rating below. Let’s connect on Instagram, and don’t forget to join my weekly email list for fresh new recipes.
📖 Recipe
Puerto Rican Style Bacalao a la Vizcaina
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried salted codfish fillets
- 1 pound potatoes thinly sliced
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jar pimientos chopped, optional
- ¼ cup manzanilla olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup clam juice
Notes
- Feel free to add a splash of lemon juice or white wine for added flavor.
- Traditionally, this recipe calls for sliced potatoes. However, I have made it with diced potatoes, which also works.
- Fresh tomatoes work just as well as canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are already peeled, eliminating the loose tomato skin from the dish.
- This recipe can be done with a regular filet of white fish like haddock, cod, halibut, or sea bass. Yes, tilapia and catfish would work, too. If using an unsalted fish filet, sear the fish and set aside, then reincorporate it towards the end to finish cooking.
