I was asked if I wanted to participate in this contest and try out some delicious salted cold, or pollock. I immediately jumped at the chance of the salted cod.
I'm Portuguese, I grew up eating salted cod, so I couldn't pass up this chance.
The idea of the blogger recipe challenge is to come up with either a main dish or an appetizer, using the product that we chose, which for me was the Cristobal Salted Cod.
I found this a bit challenging, not because I had no idea what to make but because growing up surrounded by this product, I have tried every way imaginable to cook this fish up, so making something I hadn't before was a little difficult.
I decided to go with a Salted Cod Fish Lasagna, combining my love for Italian and pasta with my love for the salted cod.
Salted Cod Fish Lasagna
Lasagna Noodles, cooked according to package directions
1lb Cristobal Salted Cod/Bacalau
Olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, finely diced
Mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded or sliced
Fresh Spinash
For the white sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 and 1/4 cup milk
Dash of salt, pepper and nutmeg
Soak the cod fish in water, overnight, change the water out a few times to take most of the salt out. You can also soak it in milk, whichever you prefer.
In a pot, add a bit of olive oil, the onion, garlic and the bay leaf. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Flake the cod fish into bite size pieces, being careful to remove all bones. Add to the onion and stir. Add a tiny bit of water just so it doesn't dry up too much, stir a few times and turn off the heat.
In a smaller saucepan, melt the butter, add in the flour and stir vigorously, cook for about a minute so that you don't get that flour taste. Start adding in the milk a little at a time, stirring well after each addition, use a whisk to remove any lumps. Keep adding the milk and stirring until the sauce thickens, about 2 or 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg.
Assemble the lasagna. Put a few tablespoons of the white sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer some of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, add a third of the cod fish mixture and spread evenly over the noodles. Next add a layer of spinach and top with about a third of the white sauce. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese or if you're using slices, then cover with the cheese slices. Add another layer of noodles, cod fish, spinach and sauce. Continue until you use everything up, making sure to end with a layer of the white sauce. Cover the top with cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted and brown.
The grand prize for the recipe contest is $1000. If you want to know more about the challenge or where to purchase the products, be sure to head on over to CFE International, or check out their social media links below.
CFE International Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bacalaoCFE
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
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