Salted Codfish Hash

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 1 Prepared salt codfish and potatoes (as for Fish Balls, egg omitted — see notes)
• 1 Fat salt pork, enough to render sufficient fat to moisten the fish and potatoes

Instructions

1. 1. Prepare the salt codfish and potatoes exactly as directed in the Fish Balls recipe from the same volume, omitting the egg. This involves soaking the salt cod overnight in cold water, changing the water at least once, then shredding the fish and combining it with mashed or finely chopped boiled potatoes.
2. 2. In a cast-iron skillet (a 10-inch / 25 cm skillet is the most common period size and is assumed here), render (try out) the fat salt pork over medium heat, 5-8 min, until the scraps are golden and the fat is fully liquid. Rendering technique: cook the pork slowly so the fat melts out gradually rather than burning.
3. 3. Remove the pork scraps, leaving enough rendered fat in the skillet to coat and moisten the fish-and-potato mixture — roughly 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml).
4. 4. Add the fish-and-potato mixture to the skillet and stir continuously over medium heat until the mixture is heated through, 3-5 min, until steam rises freely and no cold spots remain.
5. 5. Stop stirring and allow the hash to cook undisturbed over medium to medium-low heat until it is well browned on the bottom, 10-15 min. Check doneness by lifting an edge with a spatula: the crust should be deep golden-brown and release cleanly from the pan.
6. 6. Fold and turn the hash like an omelet: slide a wide spatula under one half, fold it over the other half, then transfer to a warmed plate. The finished hash should hold its shape briefly, with a golden-brown exterior and a moist, cohesive interior.