• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » Fish » Basque Cod al Pil Pil

Basque Cod al Pil Pil

By Hank Shaw on November 8, 2018, Updated July 3, 2020 - 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Basque cod al pil pil in a cazuela
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Cod al pil pil (sounds like Al peel-peel) sounds exotic, and while it is from Basque Country, the only thing mystical about this recipe is how the sauce comes together in the pan.

Normally done with reconstituted salt cod, or bacalao, this dish is one of those simple masterpieces: Fish, olive oil, lots of garlic, a few chiles, maybe some parsley or dried oregano.

Why serve fish this way? It’s rich, garlicky and slightly spicy from the chile, although some people leave the chile out. And it comes together very quickly. You can use any white fish to do this. I used cod throats or collars because I happen to like them.

If you are using salt cod, you need to freshen it up for 24 to 48 hours before you make this recipe. You do that by soaking the block of salted fish in cold water, changing the water every eight hours or thereabouts. It’s just as good with fresh fish, though.

Serve this with potatoes or rice or crusty bread. You want something to sop up that sauce with.

A word on the sauce: It is an emulsion of olive oil, garlic and the juices from the fish, that, when taken all the way, actually makes a bright yellow mayonnaise looking thing. We took our pictures before I stirred the pot a bit more to get that consistency, which is traditional in Spain. I personally like it a bit thinner, as you see in the photo.

Here’s a short video of the process you need to do to emulsify the pil pil.

One other tip: I used the codfish collars because they have a lot of collagen in them, which helps emulsify the sauce. Cooks in Basque Country will often leave the skin on their salt cod for the same reason. Then, you can choose to eat it or leave it on the plate when dinner is ready.

Ready to give pil pil a go? Here’s how:

bacalao al pil pil in a cazuela
Print Recipe
4.86 from 7 votes

Basque Cod al Pil Pil

You can make this with any white fish. Obviously cod, haddock, pollock and hake, but also bass, walleye, black seabass, Pacific rockfish, lingcod, etc. I bet it would work with catfish, too. Serve with potatoes, bread or rice and a full-bodied white wine or dry cider. 
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 672kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cod or other white fish, skin on if possible
  • Salt
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 to 3 small hot, dried chiles, crushed (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or parsley, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Salt the fish well and set aside for 10 to 20 minutes. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide pan that can hold all the pieces of fish. 
  • Saute the garlic slices for a minute or two, until they just start turning golden. Remove them as best you can. It's OK if a few escape you. 
  • Put the fish skin side down in the pan and cook gently over medium-low heat for a minute or two. Turn the fish and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until the fish is mostly cooked. Turn the heat off and remove the fish for now. 
  • Start swirling the pan. You want to gently agitate the olive oil and juices from the fish into an emulsion. This should take about 5 minutes and no more than 10 minutes. One way to help this along is to whisk it with a strainer, as you can see in the video. As the emulsion comes together, add back the garlic as well as the crushed chiles, if using. It will eventually look like a salad dressing, and if you keep stirring it while the whole thing cools, it will set up into a mayonnaise-like sauce. It's up to you if you want it this way. 
  • When you are ready, pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle some dried herbs on there and serve. 

Notes

NOTE: While not strictly necessary, the skin of fish contains a lot of collagen, which helps the sauce emulsify more easily than skinless fish. 

Nutrition

Calories: 672kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 955mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

323 shares

Filed Under: Featured, Fish, Recipe, Spanish

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for ShaneShane says

    August 8, 2021 at 4:28 pm

    This is an excellent recipe that takes very culinary skill (which is great for me) and minimal ingredients. I used both fresh and salt cod for this and it was both excellent. Serve it up with a crusty baguette and you won’t regret it!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Bradley BBradley B says

    May 27, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    If I happen to only have skinless fillets, what’s a good way to get more colligan (or some other emulsifier) in there so the sauce sets up better?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 28, 2021 at 7:25 am

      Bradley: There isn’t one, sorry. This dish hinges on the collagen in the skin or collars or bones.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for LisaLisa says

    February 16, 2019 at 9:12 am

    I have been looking for this recipe for quite a while! I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for posting this!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Jeff LoomansJeff Loomans says

    February 1, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    Hey Hank, saw your latest email blast re: comments and thought I’d respond to a recipe of yours I just tried. Was lucky enough to get a few pounds of true cod and some real basque-aise choriceros from the Ferry Bldg in SF and… how could I miss, right? Your cook technique on the cod came out perfect, thanks.

    BUT i got too clever by half: read in Cooks how to do Peruvian ceviche leche de tigre emulsions using a bit of the fish+fish juice&oil whirred with a stick blender, and thought I’d pre-start the pan emulsion with some tail bits I’d trimmed and extra olive oil, then slowly drizzle in pan juices to preserve the emulsion rather than swirling a pan that long. Not an approach that’s gonna fly in traditional San Sebastian but for a weeknight speedup… anyway total fail, just a broken mess of oil and nasty teensy fish bits.

    So I redid it (sans choriceros) a few weeks later the way you recommend and voila. Great result. I’d be totally curious if you ever run across food scientists why a starter emulsion for fish doesnt work like a butter or oil-based on usually does, but in-the-pan does; guessing it must be something about the temps? Anyway for now I’ll stick with your recipe.

    Thanks for all the great writing!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Veronica NesslerVeronica Nessler says

    November 11, 2018 at 6:29 am

    Can I use halibut to make this recipe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 11, 2018 at 7:35 am

      Veronica: Yes you can.

      Reply
  6. Avatar for Jon CJon C says

    November 9, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    Could the chilis be replaced with chili powder? If so, how?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 10, 2018 at 9:05 am

      Jon: No. Chili powder is not just chilis, it’s a bunch of spices. You could add a pinch of cayenne though.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for Carl MarszewskiCarl Marszewski says

    November 9, 2018 at 7:20 am

    I can’t wait to try this Pil Pil recipe. If I could, I would join you on your exploits both hunting and fishing. It would be a taste of heaven… keep up your pursuits, you’ve been blessed. You make a lot of folks very much in favor of your existence.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
pickled pike recipe
Pickled Pike
Slices of smoked venison roast on a cutting board.
Smoked Venison Roast
Conejo en adobo on a plate
Conejo en Adobo
A platter of fried walleye with lemon.
Fried Walleye
A plate of pine nut cookies.
Pine Nut Cookies

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

323 shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • 16Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
323 shares
  • 16