Roast Loin of Bacalao grilled over a charcoal fire, with Creole salad and baked potatoes

Ingredients

For 4 persons

For the bacalao you will need:

  • 1 kg of best-quality bacalao loins
  • 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • a pinch of fresh oregano
  • the peel of 1 lemon (only the yellow part)
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper

For the salad you will need:

  • 500 grs salad tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 1 spring onion
  • a pinch of fresh oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • sherry vinegar
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 threads saffron,toasted and ground

For the potatoes you will need:

  • 8 small potatoes
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

In addition you will need :

  • salt flakes
  • rose pepper

Preparation

The bacalao:

Cut the loins in half and then lengthwise. Trim them and set aside.

Mix the olive oil, oregano leaves, the lemon peel, cayenne pepper and the garlic, thinly slinced. Warm to but not exceeding 50°C, let cool.

Put the pieces of bacalao, patted dry, into the seasoned oil and marinate for 1 hour.

The salad:

Roughly chop the tomatoes. Mince the bell peppers and the spring onion.

Mix the vegetables in a bowl with the saffron and minced oregano and dress with salt, pepper, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.

The potatoes:

Wash and dry the potatoes. Brush the skin with a little olive oil and wrap them singly with aluminium foil. Put aside.

Finishing touches and presentation

Take the bacalao loins out of the seasoned oil and drain. Put them on the grill with the skin side facing down. The grill must be quite hot and some 20 to 30 cm above the wood embers.

Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, then turn them carefully so as not to damage the skin and grill for 5 more minutes.

Sweep the small embers into a corner and put the potatoes on top,  covering them lightly with more embers. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the bacalao from the grill and put on a serving dish, letting the pieces rest and cool for a few minutes.

Heat the seasoned oil to boiling point and drizzle over the bacalao to finish heating it through and to combine with the juices and the gelatine which may have accumulated in the dish to make a sauce.

Season the potatoes with salt flakes, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Serve the bacalao with the seasoned potatoes, the salad and the thickened sauce.