When I was in school, the last thing I wanted to study was history. It’s not that I didn’t find it informative or even important, it was just so dry and to be completely honest, the basic “history” that was typically taught during my high school years was less than scintillating stuff. Fast forward a few years and I realized that knowing history gives absolutely everything an immediate upgrade. A word, a song, an item, a location, a family, a belief, anything you could possibly imagine, becomes a compelling biography filled with knowledge, and understanding when the authentic history is revealed. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned that an old family favorite recipe came with a deep history ranging from a small region in north-western Italy, to early American discovery.
Thankfully, I have been blessed with a Dad who has spent his entire life truly enjoying the process of learning - about anything and everything! - and he has a great knack for interjecting super interesting facts that stimulate your own curiosity to go check out the subject further. So when I recently found out that none of my friends are familiar with salted cod gravy, one of my favorite old family recipes, I couldn’t wait to ask him for the backstory of where it came from! He didn’t disappoint, with a rich historical account of early European explorers competing over the New England area largely due to its heavy concentration of cod, and the value that sailors used to put on cod as a preferred source of high protein that they could preserve and keep with them on their ships. So with that information fully piqueing my interest, I set off to find the origin of these cod loving sailors, and my search ended in the Ligurian Region of Italy, more commonly known as the Italian Riviera.
Traditionally known as brandacujun, this common dish was made by boiling the cod in one pot, and potatoes in another, then removing the skin and bones from the fish and mashing it together with the softened potatoes. Once fully incorporated, the fish and potatoes would be complemented with the addition of high quality olive oil, olives, pine nuts, garlic, and fresh parsley. But because of the ease of preservation and storage, as well as the general affordability of the cod and potatoes, sailors would often forgo the accoutrements and just stick with the simple creamed cod and potatoes as a high protein, filling option to take with them during their months at sea. After crossing the Atlantic, settlers in the New England area took advantage of their own abundance of cod, and developed their own version of the Ligurian favorite. There it became less of a combination of cod and potatoes, and more of an actual gravy that was often served over potatoes, but could also be served over biscuits, toast, or even other fish.
So in an effort to incorporate this delicious family favorite into the new healthy lifestyle, we amped it up with some extra garlic, inflammation fighting cayenne pepper, and cut down on the butter and cream of the mashed potatoes by serving it over roasted root veggies. Depending on the vegetables you use, you’re also adding delicious new flavor profiles, and limitless health benefits to an originally protein-only dish. As if that weren’t enough to get this dish on the table, it’s also one of the most affordable seafood dishes you’ll be able to bring home! For me, this meal is the perfect combination of childhood nostalgia, interesting history lesson, cost effective meal planning, health benefits for days, and watching my family enjoy another yummy meal around our table!
Salted Cod Gravy (over Root Veggies) Recipe:
2 lb. Red or Purple Potatoes
2 lb. Purple Sweet Potatoes
1 lb. Beets
2 lb. Rainbow Carrots
2 Large Parsnips
1/2 C Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Large Onions
4 Cloves Garlic
1 lb. Soaked/Rinsed Salted Cod *
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper **
1/3 C Corn Starch
6 C Milk
Start by chopping all of your root veggies into bite size pieces, and mixing them with the olive oil and smoked paprika. Then lay them out in as close to a single layer as you can get (it's really not a problem if they're stacked, they just won't get quite as crispy), and roast them at 425° for 40 minutes.
To start your gravy, add the butter, onions and garlic to a soup pot over med heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add the salted cod (cut into about 1 inch squares), to the pot and stir, then add in the two peppers and 5 cups of milk. Bring the gravy to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly mix the last cup of milk with cornstarch (making sure there are no clumps), and after simmering, add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the gravy, stir well to combine. Simmer gravy for another 10-15 minutes to give it time to thicken, then remove from heat. As the gravy cools it will continue to thicken slightly. Ladle the gravy over your roasted veggies, and enjoy!
* Make sure to soak the salted cod in cold water, in the fridge, for at least 24 hours before using it - changing the water at least 2 times. The salt is so permeated into the fish that without this step your gravy will taste like a salt lick!
** We tend to fall on the heavy side of a full tsp of cayenne pepper for this dish, but our family enjoys a little heat in our food!
Note: We often have some extra gravy left over when our veggies are gone (mostly because the girls are pros at doing a fly by through the kitchen and snagging a potato here and a beet there until all of a sudden I realize there's nothing left!). So our favorite is to use the leftover gravy over salmon patties!
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