Serenata de Bacalao (Puerto Rican Codfish Salad)

This recipe is another gem from my great-grandma's recipe box and I am so excited to share it with all of you!

On my beautiful island of Puerto Rico, cod salad, also known as "serenata de bacalao", is a staple dish, eaten throughout the year. This dish goes back many generations, I still remember when I first tried it with my grandma, and my mom has been making it ever since I can remember.

I love to eat it for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack, you can add as many root vegetables as you like or none. The ingredients used to make the salad vary greatly from the region of the island to the cook. But no matter how you make it, you can always count on one thing: it's always delicious and it's always refreshing.

Prep time: 8-10hours - Cook time: 30minutes - Total time: 10hours

Servers: 5-6 ppl

Ingredients:

2 lbs. salted codfish

1 lb. potatoes, yam, taro, or cassava, peeled and cut (any assortment you like)

1 lb. tomato, sliced

1 lb. red onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. green pepper, thinly sliced

3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and cut

2 avocadoes, peeled, cut sliced

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 tablespoons green olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Soak the cod overnight or 6 hours, draining and rinsing several times to remove the extra salt.

• Boil and cook at medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Drain and flake. Remove any bones.

• Boil the root vegetables until tender, 10-15 minutes, add salt to taste.

• In a large dish, layer the root vegetables, the codfish, the onions, the peppers, the tomatoes and add the eggs, olives, and avocado. Plate as you wish!

• In a small bowl mix olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Pour mixture over codfish mixture and toss just enough to evenly coat. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips:

- There is no rule as to what to add to the salad. Or how to plate it. Have fun with it.

- Remember, the Cod is salty, make sure to taste prior to adding salt.