Name: Bacalao de pescado seco-liso — Chocó Dried-Fish Guiso
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 500 g commercially prepared dried salted white-fish fillets, before soaking; Cold water, as needed for package-directed desalting and simmering; 40 g long onion (spring onion), finely sliced; 75 g bulb onion, finely chopped; 100 g ripe tomato, peeled if desired and finely chopped; 2 g fresh basil leaves, finely chopped; 7.5 ml fresh lemon juice; 5 ml mild vinegar; 22.5 ml neutral oil, divided; 0.25 g ground annatto (achiote); 0.5 g ground black pepper; Fine salt, only if needed after tasting the desalted fish; Plain white rice, for serving (optional; not included in the yield)

Bacalao de pescado seco-liso — Chocó Dried-Fish Guiso

Region Chocó, Colombian Pacific

Category Dried-fish guiso

Yield 4 main-course servings

Preparation time About 35 minutes, plus package-directed soaking

Active time About 55 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bacalao de pescado seco-liso — Chocó Dried-Fish Guiso

Rehydrated dried fish is flaked into a mellow Chocó guiso of tomato, long onion, basil and annatto.

Bacalao de pescado seco-liso is recorded in Chocó, on Colombia’s Pacific coast. The Ministry of Culture’s Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana gives a dried-fish guiso with long onion, bulb onion, ripe tomato, basil, lemon, vinegar, annatto and oil. The fish is boiled, picked free of skin and bones, flaked and simmered briefly with the softened sauce; the book serves it with white rice. The national recipe inventory confirms the same Chocó identity and core ingredients. This measured home version follows that sequence while accounting for the soaking directions on today’s commercial dried-fish packages.

The source calls for dried fish but does not name a single species or specify whether every product is salted. For a reproducible kitchen version, buy commercially prepared dried salted white-fish fillets sold for cooking, such as salt cod, and follow the package directions for desalting. If the label calls for soaking, keep the fish submerged in cold water in the refrigerator and change the water as directed; thick pieces may need longer than thin ones. Do not soak at room temperature, and do not make dried or cured fish at home for this recipe.

After desalting, the fish should taste pleasantly savory rather than aggressively salty. The fish still carries salt into the guiso, so the recipe holds back added salt until the sauce and fish are combined. Long onion and tomato cook down into a soft, glossy base, while a little basil, lemon and vinegar keep the rich dried-fish flavor lively. Annatto gives the oil a warm golden tint, not heat. Serve the guiso over plain white rice; rice is an accompaniment and is not included in the recipe yield or nutrition.

Ingredients

Dried fish

500 g commercially prepared dried salted white-fish fillets, before soaking
Cold water, as needed for package-directed desalting and simmering

Guiso

40 g long onion (spring onion), finely sliced
75 g bulb onion, finely chopped
100 g ripe tomato, peeled if desired and finely chopped
2 g fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
7.5 ml fresh lemon juice
5 ml mild vinegar
22.5 ml neutral oil, divided
0.25 g ground annatto (achiote)
0.5 g ground black pepper
Fine salt, only if needed after tasting the desalted fish
Plain white rice, for serving (optional; not included in the yield)

Method

Read the fish package and desalinate safely Use a commercially prepared dried salted fish product intended for cooking. Follow its package directions first. If it calls for soaking, rinse off loose salt, cover the fish with plenty of cold water and refrigerate at 4°C or colder for 8–24 hours, changing the water several times or as directed on the label. Keep the fish submerged and cold throughout; never desalinate it on the counter. Discard all soaking water.
Simmer the fish and check the flesh Drain and rinse the fish. Put it in a pot and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, or as the package directs. Check the thickest piece with a clean thermometer; it should reach 63°C. If it has not, continue simmering and check again. Drain and discard the poaching water. Cool the fish until safe to handle, then remove any skin and bones and flake the flesh into bite-size pieces. Check carefully for small bones.
Soften the onions and tomato Heat 15 ml of the measured oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add 40 g long onion, 75 g bulb onion and 100 g tomato. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and the tomato has collapsed into a moist, glossy base, about 8–10 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown before they soften.
Season the guiso Stir in 2 g basil, 7.5 ml lemon juice, 5 ml vinegar, 0.25 g annatto and 0.5 g black pepper. Add the remaining 7.5 ml oil and stir until the sauce looks glossy and evenly tinted. If the pan becomes dry or starts to catch, add a spoonful of fresh water; do not use the salty soaking or poaching water.
Fold in the flaked fish Add the fish and turn it gently through the guiso so the flakes remain distinct. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice, until the sauce coats the fish and everything is piping hot. Taste a small piece with some guiso. Add salt only if it needs it; many dried-fish products retain enough salt even after soaking.
Serve and store Serve hot, with plain white rice if desired. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow container within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently until steaming hot throughout, adding a spoonful of water if the guiso has thickened. Do not reuse the fish soaking or poaching water.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates are not laboratory values. The calculation uses ICBF TCAC 2018 data for raw dried fish, item E033, and counts a 125 g dry-fish input per serving, the measured oil and vegetables. Desalting changes fish weight and removes an unpredictable amount of sodium; species, curing level, soak time and water changes all affect the result. Sodium is therefore especially uncertain and may differ substantially from this estimate. Optional rice is not included.

Practical guidance

Choose the right dried fish. Buy a sealed, commercially prepared product with clear cooking and soaking instructions. The historic source does not identify a species, so salt cod is a practical example, not the only fish associated with the dish. Do not use homemade or unlabelled dried fish. If the product is sold already desalted and ready to cook, follow its label and skip only the soaking it says is unnecessary. Let the package guide desalting. Salt level varies with fish thickness, cure and producer. A thin piece may desalinate sooner than a thick loin. Follow the printed timing, keep the fish refrigerated during the soak, and change water as directed. After the soak, simmer a small piece, cool it enough to taste, then decide whether the rest needs more desalting. Do not add recipe salt before this check. Keep the fish flaky. Once cooked and deboned, separate the flesh into bite-size flakes rather than mashing it. Fold it into the guiso with a spoon or spatula and use a gentle simmer; vigorous stirring can break the fish into a paste. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a little fresh water, not the salty soaking water. Adjust the flavor at the end. Tomato and onion should be soft, not browned. Basil, lemon and vinegar provide a light, aromatic lift; they should not make the guiso sharply sour. Because the fish brings its own salt, taste a cooked bite before seasoning. Serve with plain rice to balance the savory sauce. This recipe contains finfish; check the product label for additional ingredients and allergen statements. Plan ahead and use leftovers safely. Desalting is the long part, so start the day before if the product label requires an overnight soak. Keep the fish cold the whole time. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3–4 days. Reheat only the portion you plan to serve and bring it to steaming hot throughout.

Final notes

Remember 1: Use commercial dried fish and follow its package directions; keep any required soak refrigerated. Remember 2: Taste the fish after desalting before adding salt, then serve the soft tomato-basil guiso hot with rice if you like.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One-quarter of the fish and guiso; optional white rice excluded
Calories: About 415 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 5 g
Protein: About 79 g
Fat: About 9 g
Fibre: About 1 g
Sodium: About 900 mg

Bacalao de pescado seco-liso — Chocó Dried-Fish Guiso

Ingredients

Dried fish

Guiso

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Dentón (Bocachico con escamas) — Chocó Hot-Smoked Whole Fish

Bocachico ahumado y sudado — Chocó Smoked and Stewed Bocachico

Mestizo de pescado salado y fresco — Quibdó Salted-and-Fresh Bocachico Stew