Salty, spiced salted cod with soft tomato and onion, tender-crisp yardlong beans and mild rice. Allow 8–24 hours to soak the fish in the fridge; the active cooking is simple.
Bakkeljauw is salted cod. Salting gives the fish a distinctive flavor and makes careful desalting essential before you cook with it. How long this takes depends on the thickness of the pieces and how salty they are: thin pieces may be sufficiently desalted after about eight hours, while thick pieces need longer. Always soak the fish covered in cold water in the fridge, changing the water a few times. After soaking, taste a small piece; if it is still very salty, give it more time in fresh water. Only add salt while cooking after tasting first.
After soaking, the fish is flaked and cooked further with onion, garlic, tomato and pepper. The onion and tomato soften to make a juicy base, while the flakes keep their firm texture. A whole pepper adds aroma without making the sauce immediately hot; keep it whole and remove it in time if you want less heat. For more heat, lightly crush the pepper. The salty fish is already full of flavor, so black pepper and a little lime juice are often enough to finish the dish.
Yardlong beans are long, firm beans that should still have a slight bite after a brief boil. Cut the pods into manageable pieces and cook them only as long as needed: they should be tender, but not limp. If yardlong beans aren’t available, you can use green beans; keep them tender-crisp too and adjust the cooking time to their thickness. The fresh, green beans balance the rich fish. Rice keeps the meal mild and soaks up the juices from the tomato and fish. Regular long-grain rice works well; rinse it first so the cooking water is less cloudy.
Serve the components side by side or spoon some of the fish over the rice, with the yardlong beans alongside and lime at the table. That way, everyone can choose their own balance of salty fish, neutral rice and fresh beans. Cool leftovers quickly, store them covered in the fridge, and reheat them thoroughly within two days. It’s best to reheat rice covered with a small splash of water so it doesn’t dry out; stir the fish and beans regularly as they warm.
Rinse the bakkeljauw under cold running water. Place the fish in a large bowl of cold water, cover and refrigerate for 8–24 hours. Change the water a few times. After soaking, taste a small piece; if it is still very salty, soak the fish longer in fresh water as needed.
Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Put the rice and 450 ml water in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
Bring a pan of water to a boil. Cut the yardlong beans into pieces about 5 cm long and boil for 4–6 minutes, until tender but still with a bite. Drain.
Drain the bakkeljauw. Poach the fish for 5–8 minutes in a pan of fresh water at a gentle simmer. Drain, leave to cool slightly, then flake the fish with two forks. Remove any bones and skin.
Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and dice the tomatoes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and whole pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomato is soft.
Stir the fish flakes into the tomato mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Taste before adding salt; usually it isn’t needed. Season with black pepper and squeeze over lime juice to taste. Remove the pepper if you want a milder flavor.
Divide the rice, yardlong beans and bakkeljauw among four plates. Serve with the remaining lime.
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