Cod, orange and challot salad
In this cod, orange and challot salad, we’ve decided to unite the coast and mountain, the beach with what is inland and to be more precise, the sea with the mountains in the province of Alicante and also those of Valencia. So, now to the explanation.
Cod is one of the basic elements from the sea and was for many years the basic food of fishermen and farmers. Desalted dried cod, of course. It has its history, its great history because fishermen sold their cod in the towns inland.
From Villajoyosa, they crossed the spectacular Sierra de Aitana to reach the most populous city which was – and still is – Alcoy. And on the way, the fishermen stocked up wit ice from the ice pits which have also become a main tourist attraction in this area.
And as far as oranges are concerned, what can we say? They are the most famous fruit in the Valencian Community and what’s more, we could say that the orange if not from this area is not an orange. It’s the autumn/ winter fruit par excellence. Together with tangerines and apples.
So, what we’re going to do is join together flavour with a little bit of history. What do you think? We’re now going to show you how to prepare this salad which is perfect for any time of the year and which is a gift for all our senses, a flavour which is enhanced by another product with a long history in the inland areas of Alicante. That is olive oil. So let’s get started and you’ll see how simple it is.
Ingredients (for four people)
- 6 thin slices of desalted cod
- 4 oranges (always from the Valencia area)
- 1 sprig of celery
- I challot
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Preparation
- First of all, peel the oranges and try to remove as much of the pith as possible. Then cut them into fine slices. Cut the celery in half lengthwise and then also cut it up finely. Cut the challot into thin strips.
- It’s also a good idea to put the challot and celery into water so that they lose their strong taste although if you like your onion to have a bite, don’t bother.
- Arrange the oranges. You can do it as you wish but we’ve chosen for the oranges to form the shape of a flower.
- Alternate the pieces of orange with slices of challot.
- In the centre put the cod and the skin.
- The pith from the oranges can be used to decorate the plate. Place some basil leaves on top.
All that’s missing now is a generous sprinkling of extra virgin olive oil. As we’re making a salad with local products, we advise you to use Masía El Altet extra virgin olive oil which is produced in the Mountains of Alicante, near to our oranges in Valencia and only 30 Kms from the Mediterranean Sea and believe us, our oil unites all the flavours we’re describing.