We all associate cod with a dry, rigid fish covered in salt, which happened to be one of the best ways of keeping it fresh for long periods of time.

Nowadays the so-called green or half-cured cod is increasingly popular, since it is far more flexible and juicier than the traditional version, as well as the already desalted, sliced and frozen variety, which simply requires a slow defrosting for excellent results. From December to May a new product is now available in our markets: skrei, which is none other than fresh cod, caught in the Norwegian islands of Lofoten, where the fish go to spawn. The animals are fished and froze in situ, which means that all the qualities of fresh cod are preserved.

Skrei is an excellent fish, especially for those living in the interior of the country who do not always have access to good quality fresh fish, since skrei is sold in excellent conditions, says Marcos Mor�n, the latest in a long line of Asturian cooks based in the Casa Gerardo restaurant near Gij�n. This restaurant has for years been famous for its magnificent fabada and rice pudding prepared by his grandmother and the velvet swimcrab, one of his many specialities of his father, Pedro Mor�n. Marcos studied in the Escuela de Hosteler�a of Gij�n and then worked in some of Spain's most prestigious restaurants. He won the top prize in the second edition of the Best Cod Dish competition organised by the company Giraldo for the most creative recipe. Marcos cooked up a genuinely surprising black and white cod with truffle aroma, squid dust and fried milk.

The latest trends
Cod dishes have changed in recent years. They are cooked for less time and at low temperatures. In the restaurant we cook the air sealed cod at 50� during five minutes. At home this can be done in a pan with oil that does not exceed 50� in temperature (when you place a finger near it you don't quite burn yourself) and for the same length of time. Then remove the excess fat. Marcos Mor�n likes to prepare cod in ways that enhance its flavour and using other ingredients that don't affect its flavour. Cod is almost meatlike in flavour and goes very well with potatoes, vegetables or milk, says Marcos.

Adding the right amount of salt
One of the main problems when cooking cod is knowing how much salt to add, so when we ask Marcos how to achieve this he states that most restaurants use previously desalted cod because it tends to have just enough salt content. When desalting at home you must use plenty of water, a constant temperature and ensure you change the water regularly without forgetting to wash the bowl to eliminate the salt deposits that build up at the bottom.

The Spanish dish bacalao al pil pil is a little tastier because it is cooked for longer but the amount of salt is a question of taste.

Good desalted cod should be white in colour, not golden, with the fat sufficiently infiltrated and with an intense odour, but fresh, which is not the same as that of a fish that has been stored for a long period of time, advises Marcos. The simplest but tastiest way to prepare it is to cover a desalted cod with a thin layer of flour and fry it a while in very hot oil. A perfect formula, which can be served with pisto (ratatouille), potatoes and any other vegetables of choice.

Casa Gerardo
Ctra AF 19. km. 9
Prendes (Asturias)
Closes Mondays and every night except Friday and Saturday and two weeks in January.
E-mail: [email protected]