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Estocaficada (stockfish niçois)
Estocaficada: Nice's dried cod stew with tomato, olives and potatoes
Estocaficada is the old winter dish of Nice's port and old town, where Norwegian stockfish arrived in exchange for olive oil and wine centuries ago; it is still cooked for family Friday lunches and at the city's food festivals. Air-dried cod is rehydrated and stewed slowly with tomatoes, onions, peppers, black olives and potatoes, giving a rich, rust-red stew with a deep, almost meaty flavour. True stockfish is hard to find outside specialist shops and needs 4–5 days of soaking, so this recipe uses salt cod, which is easier and gives a gentler result; the note explains both. Serve in deep plates with crusty bread for the sauce. Chef's tip: add the cod at the end and keep it at a gentle simmer so it stays in juicy flakes rather than turning rubbery.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb salt cod in a large bowl of cold water, cover and soak in the fridge for 24–36 hours, changing the water 3–4 times. Taste a flake: it should be only pleasantly salty. (For stockfish, soak 4–5 days in the fridge, changing the water daily.)
5 minStep 2: Drain the cod, remove the skin and bones and cut it into large chunks. Keep it in the fridge until needed.
Step 3: Heat 6 tbsp olive oil in a wide casserole over a medium heat. Cook 2 onions, 1 leek and 1 red pepper for 10 minutes, until soft. Add 4 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp tomato purée and stir for 1 minute.
11 minStep 4: Add 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes, 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley stalks), ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes and 1 ¼ cups water. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the oil starts to shine on top. (If using stockfish, add it now and simmer for 1½ hours before going on.)
25 minStep 5: Add 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, until almost tender.
15 minStep 6: Add the cod and 3 ½ oz black olives (Niçoise), push them into the sauce and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Don't let it boil hard or stir too much: that is what turns the fish rubbery and breaks it into threads.
15 minStep 7: Remove the bouquet garni, taste and season with black pepper (it rarely needs salt). Serve scattered with basil or parsley.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does estocaficada (stockfish niçois) take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of leek?
- 1 onion per leek.
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