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Cod cheeks in green sauce, the best recipe
Still don't know how to make cod cheeks in green sauce? This Basque recipe is the perfect dish for any family meal, with friends, or just an everyday treat. Look how easy it is to cook!
But first... What are Cod Cheeks?
Cod cheeks are the fleshy tissue found on the underside of the cod 's chin , characterized by their flavor and, above all, their texture.
It's very typical in northern Spain, specifically in Basque cuisine. In the region, they're known as cod kokotxas. Kokotxas is the Basque word for chin.
In this post, we'll teach you how to prepare the best recipe for cod cheeks in green sauce (kokotxas de bacalao) with some tips and tricks.
How to prepare cod cheeks
Cod cheeks are sold as a product, but you can also get them if you buy a piece of cod.
To obtain the cod cheeks, you must go to the chin and remove the soft protuberance they have.
Obviously, the portion you get from a piece of cod is not enough to prepare a kokotxas recipe.
Delfín cod cheeks are a deep-frozen product that remains perfectly preserved so you can eat them whenever you want.
Cod is a fish high in protein, low in fat, and rich in minerals and vitamins. It is highly recommended for diets and for people who want to maintain a balanced and healthy diet.
Cocochas are a very soft and tasty part of the meat that, when accompanied by potatoes or a mild sauce, create a delicious and very easy-to-prepare dish.
Recipe for cod cheeks in green sauce
Kokotxas in green sauce uses ingredients that we usually have at home and it is also a very simple preparation.
However, below we explain the recipe for cod cheeks in green sauce that you will ever try.
Ingredients
Preparation time: 30 minutes
- 400g of raw cod cheeks from Delfín
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 30g of wheat flour
- 1 cebolla
- 100ml white wine
- 1 chilli
- 250ml of fish stock
- Fresh parsley
- Sal Island
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to make cod cheeks
- We start by defrosting the cod cheeks the night before. If we forget, we can quickly defrost them under cold running water. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
- Heat a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil, while peeling and finely chopping the garlic cloves. Also, chop the chili pepper into small pieces.
- When the oil is hot, add the garlic and chili and reduce heat to medium. Peel and chop the onion into small pieces and add it to the pan as soon as the garlic is slightly golden. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes with a pinch of salt.
- Once the onion is cooked, add the flour and stir until well combined. After about two minutes, add the cocochas (fried beans) and mix gently.
- While they're cooking, rinse and finely chop the parsley. After about three minutes, add the white wine and parsley, and increase the heat until the alcohol evaporates.
- Finally, pour in the fish stock and cook over medium heat for five minutes. Taste before adding salt, as fish stock is quite salty. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, uncovered.
- Optionally, you can add a splash of lemon on top before serving.
Recipe for cod cheeks in green sauce with clams
This recipe has two very typical variations: cod kokotxas with clams or with potatoes.
Typically, to create a hearty meal that's sure to satisfy the whole family, potatoes are added and cooked in the fish broth. The result is a delicious cococha stew.
Although the most famous variant of this dish is cod cheeks in green sauce with clams.
And it's very simple, all you have to do is add the clams, previously cleaned and drained, a minute before adding the white wine and parsley.
It is a product that barely needs cooking, so it is added after the cocochas and almost at the end of the preparation.
The same is not true for potatoes, which are added after the wine, just after you've added the fish stock. For this dish, you'll need twice as much fish stock.
Tips for cooking cod cheeks in green sauce
Cod cheeks in green sauce are very simple to prepare, as you can see in the previous recipe.
However, there are some tips that can help you achieve spectacular results. These are:
- Desalted cocochas: If you're using fresh cod cheeks, we recommend desalting them. The salty cod cheeks and the salt in the fish stock may make them salty and overly flavorful.
- Homemade stock: Fish stock will give the dish a very special flavor. Ideally, you should prepare your own stock or homemade fish broth.
- Spicy: Chili peppers are an essential ingredient in this traditional Basque recipe. However, if you can't stand the heat, you can add a pinch of black pepper, which will make it milder.
- Flours: The flour in this recipe is used to give the sauce consistency, so it can be substituted with any type of flour or cornstarch. Any thickener is fine.
- Fresh product: Finding cod cheeks can be difficult, and they're not sold everywhere. Our frozen cod cheeks are the perfect option to keep stock at home so you can prepare this dish whenever you want.
If you want to make this recipe, use the best Cod
