Once Upon a Codfish

The Martha’s Vineyard Cook Book (Harper & Row, 1971), written by Louise Tate King and Jeanne Stewart Wexler, is a book I treasure. Focused mainly on dishes the writers and their friends made at home, the recipes reflect what is best about eating here – food made with local ingredients, carefully but straightforwardly prepared. But the book does more than catalogue bass and blueberry preparations. It sketches a beautiful portrait of this place and its people. 

Among my favorite chapters are “Portuguese Cookery” and “The Old Timers” because they meld cooking and history. Alongside recipes for caldo verde (potato and kale soup) and Portuguese cornbread are several featuring salt cod, a favorite ingredient of mine – and, it turns out, a food long tied to the Island. 

King and Wexler point out that the Portuguese names of DeBettencourt, Medeiros, and Sylva are common on Vineyard mailboxes. Many of these families trace lineage to sailors from the Azores and Cape Verde recruited to work on whale ships. Because of hard times at home, the men settled in southern New England and on Martha’s Vineyard. 

Immigration continued even after the whaling industry foundered. Approximately 7,000 Portuguese people arrived on the Island in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, according to a study conducted by the Dukes County Historical Society (now the Martha’s Vineyard Museum). 

The Portuguese built lives much like those they had left behind: they farmed, fished, and hunted, adapting to this place. But they also left a culinary mark. “All the grocers stock tasty linguiça and chorizo sausages and the Portuguese bakery in Oak Bluffs turns out a delicious massa sovada, the traditional sweet bread,” wrote King and Wexler. 

Among the preferences they brought with them was a taste for bacalhau (salt cod). Originally developed as a method of preservation, salting gives cod a concentrated, clean flavor and a firm, meaty texture that the Portuguese came to love – so much, it is said, that today you can try a new Portuguese recipe for it every day of the year. 

This enthusiasm dates to the sixteenth century, when demand for cod drew fishermen to Newfoundland. Accustomed to preserving their northern catch by air-drying – they made what is now called “stockfish,” using a technique from the Vikings – fishermen turned to salting when Newfoundland’s humid climate made air-drying impractical. 

New Englanders also relied on salt to preserve their food at this time, and by the early-nineteenth century salt production had become among the most important industries on Martha’s Vineyard. Salt was used to preserve the once locally plentiful cod and to produce a major export. Top-quality salt cod was sold in Europe, and lower-quality fish was sent to the Caribbean and South America, where plantation owners preferred to feed enslaved people cheap preserved seafood rather than dedicate acreage to nourishing their workforces. 

Brazil, a Portuguese colony, was home to enormous forced-labor sugar plantations from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries and became a huge market for subpar salt cod. Initially eaten there by those who couldn’t afford anything else, over the years a devotion to salt cod spread (and the quality of imports improved). 

These days salt cod is revered in Brazil and in Europe. Bacalhoada (a layered bake of fish, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes garnished with olives and hard-cooked eggs) is typically found on Christmas and Easter tables in Brazil. In Italy, baccalà is also a traditional part of the Christmas Eve feast. Bacalhau à brás (salt cod, onions, and matchstick fries bound with softly scrambled eggs) is a comforting everyday dish that is the most famous of the vast Portuguese canon. Brandade de morue (salt cod whipped with olive oil, garlic, potatoes, and cream) is a renowned French dish. And Spaniards are famous for bacalao a la vizcaina (fish cooked with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic). 

Salt cod is a less common ingredient today in the United States, but it is easy to find on the Island. It is sold in boxes at Cronig’s Market and available at Vineyard Grocer in Vineyard Haven. I prefer to buy whole fillets. I look for pearly white meat and avoid fish that is discolored. I like to buy from a dealer who sells a lot of the product, such as the Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River. You can make the trip off-Island or purchase online at portugaliamarketplace.com.

I first fell for salt cod a long time ago over a plate of accra (salt cod fritters) at an airport in the French Caribbean. I have been making them for friends, refining my own recipe ever since. They are the ideal hors d’oeuvre, equally right with a glass of beer or champagne. I’ve also been making salt cod and tomato soup for ages, as well as a warm potato and salt cod salad. These easy recipes are a reflection of my experiences and history. But I was delighted to open my mother’s copy of The Martha’s Vineyard Cook Book – still available today – and learn that salt cod connects me to generations of Island neighbors.

Preparing Salt Cod

Store fish in the refrigerator as it will keep a very long time. It is best to allow 48 hours to soak the fish to rehydrate it before using. Cover it with cold water and refrigerate, changing the water several times. 

I usually very gently poach it. Place rehydrated fish in a deep pan, cover with cold water, then heat over low, never allowing the water to reach a simmer. Poach the fish until it softens and is flake-able. Expect this to take about 20 minutes. If the fish is still tough, cover the pan, remove it from the stove, and allow the fish to continue cooking in the cooling water. Once poached, the fish can be used in any of the recipes here or held in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Warm Salt Cod Salad

This is a very lively-tasting salad which is good warm or at room temperature. It is sophisticated enough to work as a plated first course for dinner but also makes a nice addition to a buffet lunch or brunch.

Serves 4

• ½ pound salt cod, soaked, poached, and shredded (for directions, see above)
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato
• Kosher salt
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• ½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 1–2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, quartered (optional)

1. Put the potato in a small saucepan, cover with water, season with salt, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes then remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and set aside to allow the potato to finish cooking. When done (test by piercing with a knife – if it goes in easily, it is ready; if not, put back on the stove and simmer for another few minutes), peel then dice.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sweat, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add the cod and continue cooking until the flavors meld, about 7 minutes. Stir in potatoes, then diced pepper and parsley. Season with pepper and red wine vinegar, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. 

3. Divide the salad between 4 plates. Garnish with quarters of egg if using.

Salt Cod Fritters

People make salt cod fritters all over the world, varying the recipe to suit their tastes. I have been serving them to friends as long as I can remember. I almost always flavor mine with ginger, chili, and cilantro, but I’ve tried many different batters. For a while, I made a simple flour/seltzer batter lightened with beaten egg white. These days my go-to is inspired by Indian pakoras and uses a combination of chickpea flour and cornstarch in place of all-purpose wheat flour. They are light and crisp and addicting.

Makes about 16

• A little over a ½ pound salt cod, soaked, poached, and flaked (for directions, see above)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced (amount equal to garlic)
• 1 Thai or serrano chili, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced scallion whites
• 1½ teaspoons minced cilantro stems
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil (use peanut oil for flavor), plus additional for frying
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ tablespoons chickpea flour
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine the flaked cod, garlic, ginger, chilies, scallions, cilantro, and lemon juice and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.

2. An hour or so before serving, beat the egg with the oil in a measuring cup. In a bowl, mix the cornstarch with the chickpea flour, cayenne, baking powder, and salt with a fork. Stir in the egg mixture, adding 2 teaspoons of water. Stir and add enough additional water, a little at a time, until the mixture is the texture of pancake batter. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes. Combine the fish mixture and batter.

3. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When a droplet of water sizzles and splatters, begin frying the fritters. Using a tablespoon, drop batter into the oil, making just a few fritters at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until the first sides are golden, about 3 minutes, then flip the fritters and fry the second sides until they, too, are golden and crisp. Check after 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towelsto drain. Lightly salt them and repeat, frying the rest of the batter in small batches. These are best warm but are still quite good at room temperature.

Salt Cod Soup

The hardest thing about this full-flavored soup is remembering to soak the cod. Though it’s good without, I find adding buckwheat groats (which need to soak overnight) makes it more substantial – something I look for in cold weather dishes. You could halve this, but because it freezes well, I always make the whole recipe.

Makes about 2 quarts

• 1 pound salt cod, soaked, poached, and shredded (for directions, see above)
• ¼ cup buckwheat groats, soaked overnight (optional)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, whites only, quartered and sliced
• 1 small onion, peeled, quartered, and sliced
• ½ medium fennel bulb, diced
• 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 peeled tomatoes (fresh or canned), chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, onions, fennel, and celery and cook, stirring until the vegetables soften, about 7 minutes. 

2. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the garlic is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves and tomatoes. Reduce heat and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and begin to concentrate, about 10 minutes. 

3. Add the groats (if using), the shredded cod, and about 5½ cups of water to cover. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, stirring very occasionally, until the fish is very soft and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes, then serve.