Brazilian stockfish with coconut milk and ginger

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg stockfish
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bell peppers, red
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp ginger, grated
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 sprig(s) coriander leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 2 days 1 hour

Bacalhau au leite de coco e gengibre – modern recipe from Manaus

Desalt the salted cod in a bowl of water for two days, changing the water twice a day. Bring fresh water to a simmer with the halved onion, bay leaves, and star anise, and poach the salted cod in it for five minutes. Remove, let cool, and remove any skin and bones. Ideally, keep as large pieces as possible. For the sauce, finely dice two onions and four cloves of garlic. Deseed the peppers and cut into centimeter-sized squares. Sauté everything in a little olive oil until soft, then add the orange juice and reduce by half. Stir in the grated ginger and any juice that has been released. Add the coconut milk and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Pour the remaining olive oil over the salted cod pieces and cook in an oven preheated to 170°C (top/bottom heat) for 20 minutes, until the surface begins to brown slightly. To serve, spoon some of the sauce onto a plate and place the salted cod pieces on top. Garnish with a few coriander leaves. In Brazil, the base for stockfish is usually not cod, but the native freshwater fish piracuro.