Bacalhau with chickpeas

Bacalhau. This traditional favorite and stomach dish of the Portuguese, this notorious cod stockfish ... For many of us non-Portuguese it is still a strange curiosity that we either don't dare to try or only reluctantly. How does it actually taste, what can you do with it, how do you prepare it, what does it go with?

In the vastness of the Internet you can find a lot of recipes for and with bacalhau, most of which sound really good and can also be realized with ingredients that are easy to obtain in our latitudes. I tossed and tossed and clicked through many options. But as is so often the case, today the good was much closer than I thought: I found what I was looking for in the outer packaging of Miss Can Patriot (3 cans of Bacalhau in different sauces). Here is an easy, quick and really delicious recipe for bacalhau with chickpeas.

In the absence of "fresh" cod and to combine two varieties, my choice fell on the bacalhau with garlic in olive oil from the Portuguese brand Tricana (Conserveira de Lisboa) . She should help me unravel the mystery of the Bacalhau.

Even pure and straight from the can, this fish was a revelation! Beautiful pieces of fillet swim in light oil and give off an intensely fishy smell, but don't let that put you off. The fish itself tastes aromatic but much more delicate than the smell suggests and impresses with a fine salty note. The garlic is only subtle and rounds off the whole thing.

We almost just plastered the whole can, but I was curious about the recipe. And so it goes:

Ingredients:

• 1 can of bacalhau
• 1 can of chickpeas
• Parsely
• 1 onion
• 1 egg
• some salt and pepper to taste

(The amounts can be varied according to your mood. For example, I used only half an onion and only 1 egg. I also like it better when the ingredients are roughly chopped so that the different colors, flavors and textures are better preserved . If the salad sits for a day, the fish flavor comes through even more and the whole thing gains flavor.)

Hard boil, peel and coarsely chop the egg, coarsely chop the onion and parsley and mix with the ripped and drained bacalhau and chickpeas. Season carefully with salt and pepper, done!

It was really quick and the result tasted fantastic! A fresh, spicy, balanced taste explosion that conjured up summer on our plates and goes well with a strong, cool white wine. We can imagine the combination with coriander very well ... and we also have a few more ideas for bacalhau recipes in mind.

And you, can you think of anything?

Our wine recommendation: Vinho Verde Camaleão or Alfaiate Branco 2016