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1
Soak the Stockfish Until Tender
24–48 Hours (Hands-Off, 1–2 Days Ahead)
Cold water, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the dried stockfish in a large bowl or pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Leave it in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water twice a day. The fish is ready when it bends easily, feels soft through the thickest part and no longer looks or feels like wood. Drain, rinse well, run your fingers along each piece to find and pull out any bones, then cut into large chunks about 6 cm (2 1/2 in) across.
If the fish still feels stiff in the middle after 48 hours, give it another 12 hours — a longer soak never hurts, a short one ruins the dish.
Done when: The fish bends without snapping, yields to a fingertip, and cuts cleanly with a knife.
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2
Soften the Onion, Leek, Peppers and Celery
15 Mins
Medium heat; oil shimmering, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, peppers and celery and cook gently for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, just until fragrant.
Keep the heat gentle: browned vegetables turn the sauce bitter, while soft, pale ones melt into it and sweeten the whole pot.
Done when: The vegetables are soft, glossy and translucent, with no colour on the edges.
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3
Build the Tomato Sauce
15 Mins
Medium heat, simmering at about 95°C (200°F)
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, the curry powder, herbes de Provence and the bay leaf. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes until the sauce thickens a little and tastes round rather than sharp.
Taste the sauce now: if the tomatoes are sharp, a pinch of sugar helps, but do not add any salt yet — the fish brings its own.
Done when: The sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and has lost its raw tomato edge.
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4
Add the Stockfish and Potatoes
50 Mins
Gentle simmer; fish must reach 63°C (145°F)
Lay the potato chunks in the sauce, then nestle the stockfish pieces among them, skin-side down where there is skin, and spoon sauce over the top. Add just enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Cover and simmer very gently for 45 to 50 minutes, rocking the pan now and then instead of stirring, until the potatoes are tender and the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Check the fish reaches 63°C (145°F) in the thickest piece.
Rock, do not stir: a spoon breaks the fish into shreds. A gentle shake of the pan keeps everything intact and stops the bottom catching.
Done when: The potatoes crush easily with a fork, the fish flakes at a touch, and the sauce has thickened around everything.
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5
Add the Olives, Rest and Serve
10 Mins
No heat — rest off the heat, about 20°C (68°F)
Stir in the black olives and the chopped parsley, then taste and add salt and pepper only if needed — the fish and olives are often salty enough already. Fish out the bay leaf. Rest the pot, covered, off the heat for 10 minutes so the flavours settle, then serve in deep bowls with the sauce spooned over.
The 10-minute rest is when the potatoes drink up the sauce and the fish relaxes — serve it straight from the pot and it tastes rushed.
Done when: The stew is steaming, the sauce clings to the fish and potatoes, and the olives are warmed through.
Monaco
1h 15m
France
Vietnam