COD "AJOARRIERO" WITH SHRIMPS IN TOMATO SAUCE (BACALAO AL AJOARRIERO)

We have come back to the kitchen to prepare a dish from Northern Spain that we really enjoy, Cod “Ajoarriero” with shrimp in homemade tomato sauce.

The “ajoarriero” cod is a simple dish made with cod fish, cooked in a frying pan with various vegetables, the principal ones being tomato and garlic. There are many variations of this dish, to include choice of principal vegetable ingredients and side dishes, and will depend on the region, the Chef, the season or the taste of the diner.  There is no fixed recipe. It is served very hot, and traditionally in a clay dish.

The origin of this dish is not very clear, but its name possibly began in the activity of the carriers or muleteers (people responsible for transporting various goods with mules and different animals to different geographical locations) and possibly they were collecting the ingredients of the dish along the way. Another theory is that it is so called by the employment of the Ajoarriero sauce (also called Ajada in Galicia) that has similar ingredients. The dish is mainly cooked in Northern regions of Spain; Leon, Aragon, Navarra, Cuenca and part of the Basque country.

When thinking about what to serve to accompany this delicious dish, there are many different recipe choices, such as sliced hard-boiled eggs, crusty bread slices, French fried potatoes, etc. We have chosen a rich cast of basmati rice, first boiled and then sautéed with garlic, to accompany this delicious Cod dish. Very tasty ;-)

And we start now with the recipe that we hope you will enjoy as much as we did:

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 1/2 lbs (700 grs.) desalted cod or fresh cod
* 2/3 lbs (150 grs.) peeled shrimp
* 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
* 2 green bell peppers
* 1 onion
* 7/8 cups (200 ml). homemade fried tomato sauce
* 7/8 cups (200 ml.) olive oil
* 1 chilli pepper
* 1 full tablespoon fresh minced parsley
* Black ground pepper
* Salt

WAY OF COOKING:

* To begin with we will peel and chop the onion and cut it into very thin slices.

* We cut the green peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and fiber and we slice them.

 * We then heat half of the olive oil (100 ml.) in a frying pan and add the onion and the green peppers. We season with salt and fry it all for 15 minutes over low heat.  We remove them, drain and set aside.

* We heat the remaining olive oil (100 ml). in an earthenware “cazuela” dish on the stovetop. Add the sliced cloves of garlic, and when they begin to get color, we take them away from the heat, and reserve them for later.

* We let the oil cool down and add the cod. We will move the Casserole constantly to mix the sauce well.

* We add the preparation of onion and green peppers, tomato sauce and the chilli pepper. We cook for 5 minutes more while moving the dish.

 * Two minutes before we finish cooking, we add the shrimp, the golden slices of garlic and the chopped parsley.

* We correct the seasoning if necessary and will serve our cod very hot, along with the garlic re-fried basmati rice.

And ready to serve and enjoy at the table. Many thanks to you all, and have a very happy weekend :-)