Recipe

Step 1: Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, changing the water once a day. Rinse one final time before cooking. Or, if you haven’t planned ahead, soak the fish for 5 hours, rinse and then break the fillets up into pieces. Soak again until you’re ready to use it, changing the water frequently.

Step 2: In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon for 10 minutes or until it has rendered some of its fat but is still soft and undercooked. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Pour off most of the fat and set aside the still slightly greasy pan.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 4: Pour the oil into a Dutch oven or large, deep, ovenproof frying pan. Add the potatoes, forming one overlapping layer. Put the fish fillets on top of the potatoes in a single layer. Layer the tomatoes, and then the sweet peppers and chili, on top of the fish. Finally, lay the bacon on top of it all, covering the vegetables as much as possible. Put the pot in the oven to bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until the fish is fra­grant and the potatoes are soft.

Step 5: While the fish cooks, put the onion in the pan you cooked the bacon in with the leftover grease. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until the onion is soft and golden in colour.

Step 6: Toast the bread until crisp and spread generously with butter. Set the pieces of toast, cut in half if necessary, in shallow soup bowls. When the fish is done, cover the bacon with the onion and sprinkle the herbs over the top. Use a ladle or large spoon to portion the fish, vegetables, bacon, onions, and broth over the bread. You can now eat.

Tossed Greens

Step 1: Put the clean, dry greens in a salad bowl.

Step 2: Just before you’ll be eating them, drizzle on the olive oil and toss until the oil coats the leaves evenly.

Step 3: Squeeze on the lemon juice, add a pinch of salt, and toss just a few times before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Cree LeFavour’s Fish (2013 Raincoast Books).