A dish rooted in Basque tradition and reimagined with a nod to Newfoundland’s own cod legacy, this recipe balances smoky-sweet peppers, rich chorizo, and silky cod brought together with the iconic pil pil sauce, a luscious emulsion of oil and the cod’s natural gelatin. Rustic yet refined, it’s a plate that tells a story.

Prepare the Salt Cod. Start with four thick, boneless loins of salted cod. Desalinate the fish by soaking it in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water at least three times during the process. This gentle treatment removes excess salt while preserving the cod’s beautiful structure. Once desalinated, gently poach the cod in extra virgin olive oil over low heat with one clove of garlic. As EVOO is rather expensive, you can replace it with good vegetable oil or a mix of both. This should take about 20 minutes — no bubbling or frying, just a soft confit. As the cod cooks, you’ll notice milky proteins blending into the oil — this is the beginning of your pil pil sauce.

Prepare the Potatoes Choose two smooth-skinned potatoes and slice them into 2 cm thick rounds, skin on. If you have a sous vide setup, cook the slices at 90°C for 35 minutes with a splash of olive oil and a bay leaf. If not, simply simmer in salted water until just tender — not boiling, or they may fall apart. Drain and set aside.

Make the Piperade While the cod cooks, prepare your pepper and chorizo base. Roast three red bell peppers, or use quality jarred roasted peppers. Slice into strips. Thinly slice half a large onion (julienne style) and cook it slowly in vegetable oil over medium heat until translucent — no browning. Add the sliced peppers, a minced clove of garlic, and your chorizo (we recommend the one we make from Chinched Meats!). Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Add 75g of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes and a tablespoon of smoked paprika, stirring to bring everything together into a rich, rustic sauce. This is your piperade — bold, smoky, and vibrant.

Make the Pil Pil Sauce Remove the cod loins from the olive oil and set aside. Let the oil cool slightly, then pour it into a narrow container or blender. Blend until the mixture emulsifies into a sauce with a mayonnaise-like texture. This is the pil pil — delicate yet intensely flavoured. If the sauce breaks or is too thin, slowly add a bit more oil and keep blending.

Plate the Dish On each plate, arrange the potato rounds in the centre. Spoon the chorizo pepper piperade over top. Gently rest a cod loin on the sauce, and finish with a generous spoonful of pil pil over the fish. Serve immediately with a crisp white wine or cider, and enjoy the meeting of Basque tradition and Newfoundland bounty.