Spanish · dinner, lunch
Bacalao al Pil Pil (Basque Cod in Garlic Olive Oil Sauce)
Video by Cook with Carmen on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Keto (1.5 g net carbs a serve)
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Flaky cod gently cooked in extra virgin olive oil: plenty of lean protein, with olive oil's monounsaturated fat making the sauce. No flour, dairy or added sugar.
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Ingredients 5
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Warm the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat with the garlic (and chilli), shaking the pan now and then, until the garlic is golden. Lift the garlic and chilli out and set aside. 0:44
- Lay the cod loins in the oil skin-side up and cook 3 minutes, turn carefully and cook 3 minutes more, then take the pan off the heat and lift the fish onto a plate. 1:14
- Pour almost all the oil into a heatproof jug and let it cool until it is just warm to the touch. Leave the juices the fish released in the pan, adding any from the plate too. 1:51
- Add a little of the warm oil to the pan juices and whisk with a strainer moved in quick circles (or swirl the pan) to start an emulsion, then keep adding the oil bit by bit until the sauce is thick and pale, like mayonnaise. 2:17
- Return the cod, spoon the sauce over and warm gently for a few minutes without letting it boil. Serve topped with the golden garlic and chilli. 2:59
Tip. Buy desalted cod loins, or soak salt cod 24–48 h in the fridge, changing the water often. The 200 g loins are our estimate. The salt line is what desalted cod keeps (labels: 1.5–2.6 g per 100 g).
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 4
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 1%
- Protein 24%
- Fat 75%
Fits keto: 1.5 g net carbs a serve, with 75% of the energy from fat.
One serve has about 56% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Selenium High111%
61 µg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (99%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin B12 High73%
1.8 µg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin E High57%
8.6 mg a serve, mostly from olive oil (85%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Omega-3 High44%
0.7 g a serve, mostly from olive oil (54%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin B6 High30%
0.5 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (88%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin K High26%
31 µg a serve, mostly from olive oil (99%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Magnesium Source16%
69 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (98%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Show the other 8
Potassium9%
420 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (94%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Zinc9%
1 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (94%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin D8%
1.6 µg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Iron7%
1.2 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (66%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Vitamin C3%
3 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (53%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Folate3%
13 µg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (98%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Calcium2%
32 mg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (70%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin A2%
22 µg a serve, mostly from desalted cod loins (88%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Cook with Carmen; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.