Unless you were lucky enough to grow up immersed in a Mediterranean or Latin cuisine (or in New England), you’re probably wondering just exactly what salt cod is. I know I had never seen salt cod until I went to live in France. And it was only when I began cooking in Provence that I really learned anything about it, like the fact that it is, quite literally, fresh cod that has been cured—or preserved—in salt and then dried. I learned that to enjoy salt cod, it must be thoroughly soaked to remove the salt. Best of all, I discovered that desalted salt cod actually has a more interesting flavor and texture than fresh cod—almost like ham compared to fresh pork—and it’s delicious paired with traditional Mediterranean flavors like garlic and olive oil.

Salt cod first became popular before the days of refrigeration in countries with Catholic traditions.这通常是在四旬期，星期五和其他禁食期间唯一的鱼。但是，对传统的盐鳕鱼菜肴的热爱 - 例如我在这里包括的油条和布兰德德（盐鳕鱼和土豆泥） - 从未死亡，美国的移民在这里保持了对盐鳕鱼的需求。一旦我知道盐鳕鱼，我发现它可以在邻里市场以及一些大型杂货店（在意大利语，西班牙语，希腊，葡萄牙语，古巴和加勒比海社区）中提供。在新英格兰，它可能是沿海社区的传统票价。这里出售的大多数盐鳕鱼都来自加拿大。有时它以不同的名称出售：bacalhau(Portuguese),bacallà(Catalan), orbacalao(Basque). It’s also easier to find around Christmas and Easter, when more of it is sold.

Choose thick, creamy white pieces。At the store, look for uniform texture and color; avoid pieces with a yellowish tint. To my mind, the thicker the piece, the better. When pressed, the surface should be smooth. My favorite pieces are sometimes called “middles” or “loins”: they’re cut from the thickest part of the fish. A few bones may still cling to them, but they’re easily removed after poaching.

大多数盐鳕鱼的出售无皮肤和无骨，这更容易处理。有时，您会在大型板条箱中看到整个无皮，无骨的圆角。它们的厚度会有所不同，但通常比用塑料袋出售的碎片更好。您还会看到盐鳕鱼包装在小木箱中。这些包含折叠式圆角；有些可能很薄，但是质量应该很好。

烹饪前，将盐鳕鱼浸泡48小时。吃尚未适当脱盐的盐鳕鱼可能是为什么有些人认为他们不喜欢这条鱼的原因。有些厨师告诉您，24小时就足够了，但是这还不够。我更喜欢脱盐矿48小时。盐鳕鱼各不相同；源头或牛排的厚度以及源盐和干燥方法都是变量。要脱盐，将其切成大块，将它们放入一个大碗中，然后用水盖上。每天至少四次在48小时内更换水。尽管有人说您不需要冷藏浸泡鱼，但我通常会这样做 - 如果没有别的，可以将其远离我的猫。要检查您的鱼是否足够脱盐，请品尝一下：它应该是酥脆的，但不要咸。

Cook salt cod before using it in other dishes.Gently poach the salt cod until it reaches a nice flaky consistency. If you boil it vigorously, it tends to toughen and get cottony. After cooking, flake the fish into pieces. Use your hands so you’ll be able to detect any bones. Gently rub the fish between your first two fingers and thumb; it should fall apart into distinct, slippery flakes. Then proceed with your recipe.