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Bacalao Club Ranero

4 people
Moderate

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
50 mins

Total time
1hr 05 mins

Javier De La Hormaza

Recipe provided by

Javier De La Hormaza

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Ingredients

4 pieces of desalted cod loin, about 200g each
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 small piece of dried guindilla chilli, finely sliced
150ml extra virgin olive oil
For the piperade sauce:
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
400g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or good-quality tinned tomatoes)
1 tbsp choricero pepper pulp
A pinch of caster sugar
Sea salt to taste

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Introduction

Bacalao Club Ranero was created in Bilbao between 1930 and 1940 by Alejandro Caverivière, the French chef of the Bilbao Society club. There are two theories about its name: one suggests the dish was improvised when more guests than expected turned up to a gathering of friends playing rana — a traditional Basque throwing game — so Caverivière stretched a classic bacalao al pil-pil with a piperade sauce made from fried onions, red and green peppers, tomatoes and choricero peppers. The other theory claims he designed it specifically in honour of the Rana Players’ Club. Whatever its true origin, the result is one of the most iconic Basque cod dishes, balancing the silky richness of pil-pil with the sweet depth of a slow-cooked piperade sauce.

Method

To make the piperade sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide pan. Add the sliced onion and peppers and cook slowly for 20 minutes until soft and sweet. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and choricero pepper pulp, season with salt and a pinch of sugar and simmer gently for 30 minutes until thick and jammy.
To make the cod pil pil, heat the olive oil in a wide pan and gently fry the sliced garlic over a low heat until they turn golden, add the sliced dried guindilla and fry for 10 seconds, drain and set aside for garnish. Allow the oil to cool down slightly, before placing the cod loins skin-side down and gently poach them in the oil until the cod begins to release its natural juices. Off the heat, tilt and swirl the pan to start forming the pil-pil emulsion, moving the pan in a circular motion until the oil and cod juices combine into a silky sauce.
Spoon the piperade sauce onto warmed plates, top with a cod loin and finish with a generous spoonful of pil-pil sauce. Garnish with the fried garlic slices and guindilla. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce and pair with a chilled glass of Txakoli for a true taste of Bilbao.