Recipe - Catalan Shredded Salt Cod Salad

1 pound Salt cod boneless, dried
1 small Red or green bell pepper
Prepared
One half lg Red onion thinly cut or sliced up
1 lg Tomato thinly cut or sliced up
1/3 cup Fruity Spanish olive oil
One fourth cup Red wine vinegar
4 lg Garlic cloves finely
Chopped
One half teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
One half cup Oil cured black olives
3 Hardboiled eggs
Quartered
One half small Bunch oregano leaves finely
chopped

To prepare the salt cod, rinse it well and then immerse it in a container
of cold water (cut into chunks, if necessary, to fit). Refrigerate,
changing the soaking water 5 or 6 times, until softened and mild (24 to 48
hours, depending on how stiff and salty it was to begin with).

Drain the cod, place it in a large saucepan with the onion and the bay
leaves, and cover with cold water. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat to
very low, and cover (taste the water at this stage and, if it seems
excessively salty, then drain, cover again with fresh cold water, and bring
to a boil). Simmer very gently until the fish is opaque and plumped, and
falls apart into heavy flakes when prodded, about 20 minutes. Drain, pat
dry, and remove the bones and skin, if necessary. Separate into large
flakes and use right away, or refrigerate for up to 2 days before
continuing with the recipe.

Drain and press the cod with your fingers to extract as much water as
possible. Shred the cod by hand into thin strips and transfer it to a large
bowl.

Core, seed and wash the pepper. Cut into thin rings. Separate rings of
onion. Select 1 large, firm, ripe tomato and slice it thinly.

Add the pepper rings, onion, and tomato to the bowl and toss together
gently. In another bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, pepper, and if
desired, a little salt (the salt cod is usually still quite salty; taste it
to determine if the vinaigrette needs any salt). Whisk the vinaigrette
together until thoroughly blended.

Using your hands, toss the salad with the vinaigrette until all the
ingredients are coated. Transfer the salad to a platter and garnish the
edges with olives and wedges of hardboiled egg. Scatter the oregano over
the dish. Yields 6 servings

Recipe By : Feniger and Milliken, Too Hot Tamales, TVFN

Posted to MMRecipes Digest by "John Weber" hdbrer@ibm.net on Nov 29, 98