Ingredients
For 4 persons
For the soused bacalao you will need:
- 700 grs of best-quality bacalao
- 300 ml olive oil
- 160 ml wine vinegar
- 60 ml water
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 150 grs carrots, sliced finely
- 150 grs onion, sliced into fine strips
- 1 bay leaf
- a pinch of rosemary
- 1 tsp coriander
- 3 pcs star anise
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 spice clove
- 5 rounds dried red chili
- 10 grains black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
- salt
For the potato and fennel risotto you will need:
- 600 grs of potatoes cut into 5x 5 mm dice
- 100 grs of diced onion
- 100 grs of minced fennel
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 50 grs smoked bacon cut into small dice
- 100 ml olive oil
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 50 grs butter
- 50 grs Parmesan
- 1 teasp. common dill, minced
- salt and pepper
For the red beet reduction you will need:
- 500 grs red beet
- 5 grs brown sugar
- 1 tablesp. Modena (balsamic) vinegar
- salt
In addition you will need:
- smoked bacon, dried in the oven and minced
- fresh dill
- cooked red beet in 5×5 mm cubes
- salt flakes
Preparation
The potato and fennel risotto:
Sauté the onion, the fennel and the minced garlic in the olive oil. Add the bacon, fry it lightly, to the point of just turning golden and add the potatoes. Stir to ensure that the potato does not stick to to the bottom of the casserole and that it takes on the flavour of the other ingredients. Moisten with a little of the stock while continuing to stir and try to make the potato keep its form. Continue the cooking, adding stock, until the potato is just done (al dente).
Thicken the preparation with the butter and the Parmesan cheese. Add the dill and adjust the seasoning.
The red beet reduction:
Liquefy the red beets in a blender or juicer in order to obtain only the juice, putting aside the pulp. Reduce the juice by half, add the other ingredients. Put aside.
The soused bacalao:
Fillet the loins of bacalao into 8 slices, approximately 1.5 cm wide. Divide each in two with a transversal cut. Set aside. Put the olive oil in a pan/ skillet and sauté the onion, the carrot and the garlic without browning. Add a pinch of salt, some Worchestershire sauce, the herbs and the aromatic spices. Moisten with the vinegar and the water, bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes.
Finishing touches and presentation
Arrange the bacalao on a serving dish and drizzle with the hot souse, so that it begins to adjust to the heat, taking on a slight white colour. Repeat the operation with a spoon. Remove the bacalao and drain it on kitchen paper. Trace a brushstroke of the red beet reduction on the dish, arrange the pieces of soused bacalao on top with the risotto to one side. Finish with the red beet cubes, the fresh dill and the dry, minced or crumbled bacon and a few salt flakes.
