Salt fish, as its locally referred to in Trinidad, Grenada and Barbados was once considered peasant food. Today, dishes prepared with dried and salt preserved white fish are eaten as appetizers at weddings and are included on all-inclusive fete menus–Ha!
Buljol, one my favorite dishes to prepare with salt cod, can be considered a salad, eaten at breakfast with cooked vegetable dishes and warm breads: light fry bakes, doughy pot and roasted coconut bakes. My Ma always adds a boiled egg or two to the mixture. Toppings and condiments like sliced ripe avocado and homemade pepper sauce is served on the side.
Though I’ve personalized the ingredients, the process to making Buljol for breakfast or brunch at home remains the same: cook and cool the cod > prepare desired vegetables and herbs > toss fish and vegetables in (infused) oil > taste for added seasoning > enjoy.
The Cod
Bought from Fresh Direct, this is the first time using this brand of wild caught salt cod. The instructions suggest washing the fish under running water for 15 minutes before cooking. Because there was a decent coating of salt on the cod, I soaked it overnight before simmering the next morning until it was cooked. I flaked the cooked fish by hand, rinsing once more before I set aside.
Vegetables
As mentioned before, I’ve personalized this dish with cherry tomatoes, yellow onions, scallions, garlic, jalapenos and a touch of green seasoning. Because the ingredients are raw, I cut / slice the vegetables and herbs as thin as possible to make it easier to eat.
Infused Olive Oil
Some simply toss the cook fish and vegetables in oil straight from the bottle. I, like my mother infuse the oil with garlic before adding to the mixture. Garlic Confit can be made ahead of time and used.
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- 3/4 lbs Salted Cod
- 11/2 cup Tomatoes chopped or sliced
- 1 cup Onions thinly sliced
- 2 stalks Scallions thinly sliced
- A handful flat leaf Parsley leaves rough chop
- 7 gloves of Garlic small chop
- 1/2 Jalapeno thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Green Seasoning optional
- 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 hard boiled eggs cut into quarters
- Salt and Black Pepper
Ingredients
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- Follow the manufacturer’s directions to cook the cod,
- Flake the cooked fish and set aside. To a small saute pan, add the cup of Olive Oil, chopped garlic and cook for 7-10 minutes on low heat until bubbles form around garlic.
- Add all the prepared vegetables to a medium bowl and season with salt and black pepper to taste before adding the cooked fish. Drizzle all of the warm oil and fold the mixture using a spoon until well incorporated. Taste for additional seasoning (I add green seasoning at this point).
- Transfers to a serving bowl and top with hard boiled eggs.
- Serve at room Temperature
Notes:
- Salt Cod is expensive, so salted Pollock is an excellent substitute
- My Ma uses vegetable oil in her Buljol, today I have olive oil handy which adds a pleasant flavor to the dish. I would also use coconut oil
- Some might add pepper sauce for flavor, I toss fresh slices of jalapeno to deliver a kick to the dish. But if extra heat is desired, I regularly have my mother’s pepper sauce in the kitchen cabinet
- I used ¾ lbs. of cod to prepare this dish for myself to last a couple days. Because the Buljol is served at room temperature, I top tossed salads with the leftovers for lunch the next day
- You don’t have to use cherry or heirloom tomatoes as I did, you can use whatever kind you have on hand. Same goes for the onions, red onions are great eaten raw and would work well in this dish
