Xatonada – Catalan salt cod and frisée salad
Another Catalan salt cod salad, which has a number of variations. Although it is traditionally done with salt cod, I have also seen it with tuna and/or anchovies, taking it closer to a Caesar salad, albeit with a nut sauce. This is Brindisa’s head chef Leo Rivera’s way of presenting it, which I particularly like, as he chops the spindly frisée (or escarole) lettuce quite finely, making it easy to eat, and dresses it with Xató sauce (similar to romesco sauce) and olives.
Serves 4
150g salt cod fillet, de-salted
½ a frisée or escarole lettuce, chopped very finely
Around 4 black olives, such as Empeltre, stoned and halved
1 x quantity Xató sauce (200g)
With a very sharp knife, remove the skin and then either slice the salt cod as thinly as you can or with your fingers break it up into bite size pieces. Mound the frisée neatly on a serving plate and lay the salt cod slices or chunks over the top. Add the olives and dress with the sauce.
Brindisa, The True Food of Spain by Monika Linton (4th Estate, £29.95) www.harpercollins.co.uk
