Greek cod stew - Stifado
Fish are the star in the monks diet, especially cod or codfish. Here is a cooking proposal, ideal for lovers of fish and stew, as it combines both together. An authentic monastic recipe of Archimandrite Dositheos for stewed cod fillet, slow-cooked with onions and tomato sauce in the pot or in a small traditional pan. Accompany it with a simple pilaf or why not with French fries.
For the garnish: we wash the cod well to remove the salts and cut into portions. We put the pieces in a basin with plenty of water and let them there for at least 24 hours. We change the water every 4-5 hours. When the cod pieces are ready, we let them drain in a colander.
We clean the onions and leave them in ice water for at least an hour.
We put some water in a wide pot. The amount should be small enough to cover the pieces of cod when we throw them in.
We add the garlic, tomato paste, allspice, rosemary, bay leaves, chili flakes and half the olive oil to the pot with the water.
We boil the contents of the pot over low heat for about ten minutes.
At the same time, we pour the remaining olive oil into a pan and fry the onions until golden.
We put the portions of cod in the pot and pour the fried onions on top.
We lower the heat even more and let the food cook with the lid closed for about half an hour, being careful not to stick.
Caution! we salt the food only if necessary because the cod can be quite salty.
When the sauce thickens and the cod softens, then we remove from the heat.
We never mix the food. We shake the pot slightly by the handles so that the codfish and the onions do not dissolve.
Fish stew can also be made with other large fish such as grouper, tuna, white grouper, golden grouper etc.
