Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 French-Style baguette
- 1 lb salt cod – bacalao
- 1-2 oranges
- 2 leeks
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp sherry or balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
Serves 6 as an appetizer.
Rinse salt cod under cold running water. Then place cod in a dish, making sure that it is completely covered with water. (Glass baking dishes work very well for soaking the cod.) If the temperature in your kitchen is cool (68F or less), you can leave the dish out on the counter. If your kitchen is warmer, you can place the dish in the refrigerator. Change water 2-3 times during the 24 hour period.
Slice leeks very thin and separate the strips. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium size frying pan over medium heat. Add leek slices to pan and cook on high heat until the leek bits stick to the pan. Add enough water to cover the bottom of pan and move the leeks with a spatula. Cook leeks on high heat until the bits stick again and water is evaporated. Add another 1/4 cup of water – or enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan and a 1/2 teaspoon sugar and stir. Cook allowing water to almost completely evaporate. Add balsamic or sherry vinegar and stir. Set aside.
Peel the oranges and make sure to remove as much white as possible. Carefully slice the oranges about 1/8-inch thick. Cut each orange slice in half, so that they fit on the baguette.
When ready to prepare the “tapa,” remove the cod from the water and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Cut into pieces small enough to fit on a slice of baguette. Sometimes cod can be sliced or filleted into pieces that are very thick. If that is the case, slice the cod so that pieces are no more than a 1/3 inch thick. In a frying pan, put a small amount of olive oil in bottom and cook cod over low heat until fish is cooked – about 3-4 minutes.
Before assembling, cool cod in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Assemble Tapa
Place slices of bread on a platter. Carefully place a small slice of orange on each slice of bread. Add a piece of cod on top of the orange. Using a fork, add a small mound of caramelized leek.
