The Salt Cod Salad (known as Serenata) is a salad layered with spinach, cooked and shredded salt cod, onions, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs and avocados. This salad is an excellent high protein dish. This dish is always served on a plate accompanied with tropical root vegetables (Yautía, Yuca and Ñame) or starchy fruits (Panas). My aunt, Paulita, would serve this dish on a bed of lettuce from the Island known as Lechuga de la Isla. However, I prefer the salt cod salad with spinach. It can also be served without any green leafy vegetables. Olive oil is usually drizzled over the salt cod salad.
A Little Bit of History!
Bacalao is the Spanish term referring to the authentic dried salted codfish and the salted pollock fillets. The salt application is a technique used by the British to prevent the codfish from spoiling during its travel from the North Atlantic to Puerto Rico around 1765. For this reason, we seldom consume fresh caught codfish. In order to use the bacalao in a dish, you will always need to remove the excess salt and rehydrate both types of fish (the authentic salted codfish and the salted pollock fillets).
Let’s Prepare the Salt Cod Salad!
For this recipe, you will need 1 pound of cooked and shredded salted pollock fillets. Click on this link to learn How to Desalt, Cook and Shred Salt Cod.
Arrange spinach on a large platter. Place the cooked and shredded salt cod evenly on top of spinach.
Add sliced tomatoes on top of cooked and shredded salt cod.
Place thin slices of onions on top of sliced tomatoes.
Arrange sliced hard boiled eggs and diced avocados on top of Salt Cod Salad.
We Are Ready to Add the Last Ingredient!
Drizzle olive oil (to taste) on top of entire Salt Cod Salad before serving.
Serve cold with Boiled Breadfruit or Steamed or Boiled Root Vegetables.
Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Make Salt Cod Salad!
Recipe and Nutritional Facts
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.
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Salt Cod Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This tasty and flaky salt cod salad, drizzled on top with olive oil, is usually served with a starchy fruit (green plantains and breadfruit) or root vegetables (yam, yucca and taro root).
Ingredients
- 1 pound salted pollock fillets – desalted, cooked and shredded
- 4 ounces spinach leaves
- 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Arrange spinach on a large platter.
- Layer with shredded salt cod, tomatoes, onions, hard boiled eggs and avocados.
- Drizzle olive oil over salt cod salad.
- Serve cold with boiled breadfruit or root vegetables.
Notes
See video and food blogging post on how to desalt, cook and shred salt cod. The cooking time for this recipe is for the boiled eggs.
- Category: Lunch and Dinner
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Keywords: Salt Cod Salad
