Seafood Made Simple: Saltfish is this soup's secret ingredient

These dried sides of fish I have now come to know as salted ling. Salted ling has been a staple Irish food for centuries, mstly enjoyed in rural Irish fishing communities, nowadays though it’s not as common.

Ling is a fantastic round fish, a considerably cheaper member of the cod family. Its skin crisps fabulously, a beautifully meaty versatile fish. I wouldn’t pass it now if I saw it on a fish counter.

You might not find salted ling in your local fishmongers, but you might find bacalao, its Portuguese cousin. And if you can’t find either don't fret: it’s incredibly simple and super satisfying to make your own.

With spotlessly clean hands, in a non-reactive dish place a layer of salt on the base followed by any kind of fresh fish (i.e. flat, round white fish, but never oily) and cover in another layer of salt. 

After a day or two most of the water will be removed from the fish. Lift the fish from the water-saturated salt and repeat the process of layering with fresh salt in a clean dry container. This will preserve the fish for weeks, if it lasts that long.

This process is a great way to utilise any trim that you mightn’t justify sticking in the freezer. A little salt fish goes a very long way. It can be added to pasta dishes, chowders, fish pies, fish cakes and flaked through salads.

In this weekend’s recipe, salt fish delivers a real depth of flavour to a very familiar leek and potato soup.

Leek, Potato & Saltfish Soup

By:aishling Moore Recipe

Delivers This Very To Flavour A Familiar Salt A Potato And Of Soup Fish Leek Real Recipe, Depth In

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Oil 3 Tbsp Rapeseed

• 50g Butter Unsalted

• Onion, Small Diced 1 Finely

• 8 Crushed Cloves, Garlic

• And Medium 3 Washed Sliced Leeks, Sized

• Glass Wine White Dry 1

• 650g And Diced Peeled Potatoes,

• Fish Stock (or 1 Veg Or Light 3l Chicken Stock) Stock

• Soaked 180g Fish, Salt

• Cream 300ml

• Pepper White

• Salt Sea

method

1. 600ml You Intend On The Cold To Night, Removes Rehydrate Excess Allows The The Changing On Salt Once Salt This Before To That’s Fish Remove Exterior Making 24 The This Any In Over And Soak Hours Water Rinse Fish Salt Water Soup

2. Being Ivory Heat Butter Soup Add Heavy Minutes And Onion Garlic Stirring Appearance The 3 On Medium Oil Heat Rapeseed A To Finely The Catch This The Saucepan And Careful Pot Ruin Regularly, Creamy The Based Medium Would Add ) (this Sliced Unsalted Not Crushed Sweat For Of Allow To

3. White As A With Fitting 8 Sweat A Easy Go On Or And And Minutes Added Leeks, Always The Place Have And Leeks Point, Pot Sea If Add Pepper Mix Add Sweetened Tight Of And Little Season Has Lid For With Needed Been Pinch This A You Saltfish Seasoning After More Until Sliced Softened Can Salt The The Well The

4. And The Liquid Evaporate Bring Lid Boil The White The To Remove Off To The Wine Add

5. By For A Potatoes To Pressed Or Add Break 12 When The Wooden Potatoes And The Pot To Reduce A Apart Followed 10 Diced Cook Stock Spoon The Boil Until With Uncovered Bring The Minutes To The Simmer

6. Add And Fish The And Fish Flaking Through To Minutes The Until Pot The 3 For Cook Cooked Is Salt

7. The Add Remove The The Pot Heat From And Cream

8. A Seasoning Using An Or Processor Blend Immersion To Taste Adjust Blender Food

Soup know-how

• Soaking the salt fish overnight is imperative to the success of this dish or any dish where you areu sing salt fish. Soaking the fish removes the excess saturation of salt.
• Seasoning gradually is key to building a well flavoured soup, sauce or stew. Season cautiously at the beginning of this soup.
• For a tasty topping, reserve the skins from the potatoes. Wash well, pat dry and coat in a little rapeseed oil and season with sea salt. Roast on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25 minutes.
• The salt fish could also be swapped out for some smoked haddock.