The Spanish consumption of fish per capita is among the largest in the world, with each Spaniard devouring, on average, about 100 pounds/45 kg a year. To give that number some perspective, the European Union average is exactly half that amount, and the United States, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, is even lower, with just under 16 pounds/7 kg a year.
Visit any of the covered food markets along the coast and the importance of fish and seafood is clear. In many mercados, these stalls are in the center of the market, an apt symbol for the diet. The markets offer choices from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea that bracket Spain.
But there are freshwater fish, too, eels from the Ebro Delta and the Albufera lagoon south of Valencia, trout from the streams of Navarra, Cantabria, and Granada, and salmon in the rivers of Asturias.
Such a variety of species means a variety of methods of preparation: lightly flouring and deep-frying in Andalucía, the fish stews of the Mediterranean and the Basque Country, braising with spices like saffron or mild dried red peppers, or cooking in a parsley-rich “green sauce.”
But often the best way to prepare fish is the simplest. Simple, though, doesn’t necessarily mean easy. Perhaps it is here that the theory of Spanish cooking and tasting the principal ingredient is at its most obvious. When buying a gorgeous turbot or porgy, why would you want to bury it under a heavy sauce and disguise its lovely sea flavors?
While Spain consumes a huge amount of fish, not all of it is fresh. The importance on the Spanish table of dry-salted cod is hard to underestimate, especially in the years before freezing and refrigeration. Back then, it was just about the only fish available to much of the country.
The Basques were the first great salt-cod fishermen, and they traveled long distances to Newfoundland and Iceland at first to whale and then to fish the rich banks of cod. The Spanish word bacalao and Catalan bacallà come from the Basque, bakailao. The medieval Catholic Church gave the salt cod a final, solidifying role (and the Basques a massive, lucrative market in Europe) when it prohibited meat all year on Fridays and during Lent. While such rigorous abstinence is rarely practiced today, and fresh fish is available even in the most rural of Castilian villages, salt cod dishes remain firmly present on the year-round contemporary table.
The prominence of salt cod in so many regional cuisines is impressive. Some of the most classic, even celebrated, dishes in Spain are made with bacalao. Because it is so versatile, I have included some salt cod recipes in other chapters on tapas, salads, and egg dishes.
Outside of Spain, salt cod can be found in certain gourmet grocers, but also in many Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian markets. Look for pieces that are white (not yellowish). While the best pieces are cut from the lomo (loin), not every dish needs such an expensive cut. Desalting takes at least a couple of days; plan ahead. See page 341 for more on this process. Note that the soaked weight of salt cod increases by about 20 percent (or, rarely, as high as 25 percent) from the dried weight.
