MOONINSPAIN

Where tradition and memories cross cultures amongst cod and anchovies

My legendary Italian Nana used to threaten us when we acted like little monsters around her house. She would raise her hand high with her perfectly painted long nails, and wave it around saying, “I’m going to give you a baccalá!!!”

I was never smacked by that dried piece of salt cod, but the memory of the threat stands clear in my mind. For the past 30 years of my life, I have spent a lot of time in places where my Nana’s baccalá is found everywhere.

Be it baccalá, bacalao, bacalhau or just plain salt cod; it is everywhere in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

My favorite preparation of bacalao in the Basque Country is Bacalao al Pil Pil. The four simple ingredients of salt cod loin with skin, olive oil, chili peppers, and garlic, produce one of the most memorable dishes you can try.

An emulsion that gently marries the olive oil with the gelatin of the fish is an art form. This requires the exact heat, and constant movement of the pan that should simulate the waves of the sea. The gelatin of the codfish causes little bubbles when it comes in contact with the olive oil, and with perfect execution, a creamy sauce is born.

As in all Basque cuisine, only the highest quality ingredients should be used to prepare this dish.

The history of Basque seafaring is long, and deeply woven into its people and their culture. The French and Spanish Basque fishermen dominated whaling for over five centuries, curing the meat with salt to preserve it for Lent or winter months.

Contact with the Vikings in Southern France resulted in the beginning of their cod fishing industry and advancement of the fishing vessels.

The fishing industry prospered greatly thanks to the Catholic religion, since it required people to eat only fish on Fridays, holy days and Lent. The Basque coastline is dotted with prominent fishing villages like Bermeo, Getaria, Lekeiteo and Ondarroa.

In the spring and summer months, if you are lucky, you can catch the fishing boats as they arrive in the ports or as they set sail out into the Bay of Biscay and beyond. Anchovies, albacore, and bluefin tuna are also very important to the seafarers in the Basque Country.

If you spend time in these fishing villages, please take note of the new generation of Senegalese youth who are completely integrated into this society. They are the children of fishermen who migrated here to find a better life.

This remarkable country has become an intricate part of my life. Perhaps my Nana knew that I would end up falling in love with a nation that shared her love for salt cod.

Gernika is one of my favorite inland towns to stop in when on the way to the Basque coast or the Berroja winery. The complicated history of this town due to the bombings during the Spanish Civil War depicted in the painting by Picasso, is now balanced by being home to one of the few Peace Museums in the world.

The weekly market held on Mondays in Gernika is phenomenal. People from surrounding towns gather here to sell their cheese, vegetables, fruit, fish, or clothing.

One summer, we were welcomed with a festival of free local wine and Bacalao al Pil Pil held in the market area. We arrived as it was coming to an end and got the last plate of cod. Luckily the wine was still flowing, and with abundance. My Nana would have been extremely content.

After that last plate of cod was happily consumed, we continued on for a few more pintxos and Txakoli, the local white wine that deserves a post all of its own. We simply had to enjoy one more bacalao al pil pil at a favorite bar of mine. And, you can never forget the Gilda.

In every pintxo bar you should always try their version of the Gilda. This classic and obligatory pintxo consists of spicy pickled peppers, olives and anchovies. The name Gilda is a reference to the role of Rita Hayworth in the 1946 film, Gilda. The pintxo is salty, green and a little bit spicy!!

Even though I refused to eat the salt cod that my Nana prepared when I was a child, I feel that she instilled in me a love of it that eventually flourished in me as an adult.

Every time I eat a dish prepared with salt cod, regardless of the country I am in, I can feel my Nana smiling down on me. She was always laughing when she said she was going to give us a Baccalá. We knew how much she loved us running around her house and eating her food. Telling us that was just a way to keep her culture and food alive. It sure worked in my case.