Chiquetaille de morue or Marinated Salted Cod – two versions
Chiquetaille de morue is a traditional Haitian dish with salted codfish, vegetables, and spices. It is called chiktay or chiktay morue in Haitian Creole. It is a popular dish during the Lenten season when many Haitians abstain from eating meat. Chiquetaille de morue is also a popular dish served at parties and gatherings.
This traditional Haitian dish is popular for its hot peppery taste and is served as an appetizer or lunch. The fishy and hot peppery will elevate your palate to another level. Older gentlemen enjoy this dish at parties with a good and cold Haitian beer or their favorite rum Rhum Barbancourt.
Unfortunately, I do not know the origin of this dish. It is prepared differently in the Caribbean islands and Latin countries. It is typically served in Haiti with regular bread, cassava bread, or crackers. In other places, it may be served with rice or potatoes, which can be enjoyed as a main course or a side dish.
Chiquetteaille de morue is a relatively simple dish packed with flavor. The cod is first soaked in water to remove salt and chopped and marinated with vinegar, oil, seasonings, spices, and hot pepper.
The method of cooking and how it is made may differ depending on the cook, but it is a delicious and appealing dish to try. If you want a delicious and traditional Haitian fish dish, try chiquetaille de morue. It is a flavorful dish that is perfect for entertaining.
We prefer two recipe versions; one requires an oven and is less oily, and the other requires no oven and is a bit oily. Both recipes are good and easy to prepare. You only need patience to let the salted cod desalt – usually about 24 hours.
What is Salted Cod?
Dried and salted cod, also known as salt cod, saltfish, or salt dolly, is a type of cod that has been preserved by drying after being salted.
There are many different names for this fish. It is called morue (French), bacalao, bacalhau, or baccalà.
Ingredients needed for both Chicquetaille de Morue recipe versions.
Ingredients for version #1
- Salted Codfish
- Plenty of water to de-salt
- Scallion finely chopped
- White Onion
- Hot Pepper: Habanero or Scotch Bonnet
- Pikliz
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Garlic clove
Ingredients for Version #2
- Dried Cod Fish Fillet
- Onion or shallots
- Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Red Bell Pepper
- Green Bell Pepper
- Carrot
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Hot Pepper, habanero or Scotch bonnet
To make chiquetaille de morue
Both versions require desalting. Check out this article on how to desalt the fish.
Preparation for version #1
After desalting, as mentioned above, one method requires an oven where the fish is placed in a baking dish lined with a rack and cooked under the broiler for 15 minutes. This is to remove the excess moisture and to make the fish flakier. The cod is then marinated with scallion, white onion, hot pepper, pikliz, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, and garlic cloves.
Preparation for version #1
After desalting, drain the water from the cod, chop finely, and mix with the onion, vinegar, oil, bell peppers, carrot, ground black pepper, and hot pepper.
Both versions require a 24-hour marination period for all the flavors to marry. If you cannot wait for 24 hours, 2-4 hours is highly recommended.
Notes and Tips
- Soak the codfish for at least 24 hours to remove the salt.
- Cut the codfish into small pieces when soaking to help the fish desalt faster.
- If, after desalting, you think the fish needs salt, do not add any. Mix all the ingredients and let marinate first. It is difficult to know how much salt the chiquetaille needs.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Can I use fresh cod? No, if you want to create an authentic Caribbean dish. Yes, if you don’t mind, and looking to make ceviche. If the cod is not fresh, cook it in the oven for a few minutes to remove the excess moisture. Fresh cod contains a lot of moisture, be ready to adjust the flavors.
- Serve chiquetaille de morue with crusty bread, fried plantains, cassava bread or crackers.
- If you don’t have time to soak the salt cod overnight, you can speed up the process by soaking it in cold water for 2 hours, then changing the water and soaking it for another 2 hours. If it is still too salty, pour water into a deep pan – enough to cover the cod when the water is boiling. Bring the water to a boil, add a few drops of vinegar, and boil the cod for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cod from the boiling water and dry completely. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
- Be sure to flake the salt cod into small pieces to make it easy to eat.
- Flavor the dish with NouBess Fish Seasoning for a deeper herbal flavor.
Chiquetaille de morue, chiktay or chiktay morue is a delicious and flavorful dish perfect for a light lunch or dinner. It is also a great dish to serve at parties and gatherings. So next time you want a new and exciting dish, try chiquetaille de morue. You won’t be disappointed!
Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Version #1 for Chiktay, Chiktay morue or Chiquetaile de morue
Chiquetaille de morue or Marinated Salted Cod – version 1
Chiquetaille de Morue is a very hot and spicy dish because of the hot peppers. Allow plenty of time to de-salt the codfish. Best enjoyed with bread or fried plantains.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag Salted Codfish 1 pound or 12 oz bag
- Plenty of water to de-salt
- 1 stalk Scallion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup White Onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Hot Pepper chopped; Habanero or Scotch Bonnet
- 2 tablespoons Pikliz
- 1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 clove Garlic minced
Instructions
- De-salting the codfish may be a bit tricky. The best way is to thoroughly rinse the codfish under running cold water, remove as much salt as possible without pulling the meat apart and place it in a large bowl with plenty of water. After a few hours, repeat the same process 3 or 4 times until you feel the fish has been de-salted. Add plenty of water if de-salting it overnight.
- Cut the fish into large pieces and pat dry. In an oven preheated at 425 degree F, place the fish in a baking dish lined with a rack. Let fish cook under the broiler for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- In a small bowl mix all remaining ingredients. Shred codfish into small pieces and mix with marinade. Add salt if necessary. Serve immediately or let all flavors blend well for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Soak the codfish for at least 24 hours to remove the salt.
- Cut the codfish into small pieces when soaking to help the fish desalt faster.
- If, after desalting, you think the fish needs salt, do not add any. Mix all the ingredients and let marinate first. It is difficult to know how much salt the chiquetaille needs.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Can I use fresh cod? No, if you want to create an authentic Caribbean dish. Yes, if you don’t mind, and looking to make ceviche. If the cod is not fresh, cook it in the oven for a few minutes to remove the excess moisture. Fresh cod contains a lot of moisture, be ready to adjust the flavors.
- Serve chiquetaille de morue with crusty bread, fried plantains, or cassava crackers.
- If you don’t have time to soak the salt cod overnight, you can speed up the process by soaking it in cold water for 2 hours, then changing the water and soaking it for another 2 hours. If it is still too salty, pour water into a deep pan – enough to cover the cod when the water is boiling. Bring the water to a boil, add a few drops of vinegar, and Blanche the cod for just a few minutes. Remove the cod from the boiling water and dry completely. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
- Be sure to flake the salt cod into small pieces to make it easy to eat.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Version #2 for Chiktay, Chiktay morue or Chiquetaile de morue
Chiquetaille de morue or Marinated Salted Cod
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Salted Codfish
- 1 onion or 6 shallots finely chopped
- 1/4 cup vinegar distilled white vinegar preferably
- 1 cup olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Red Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Green Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 1 carrot small, and finely sliced small
- 2 pinches Freshly ground black pepper
- Hot Pepper to taste (Habanero or Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper
Instructions
- Soak the cod the day before. Change the water several times to eliminate a maximum of salt.
- Drain the cod in a sieve. Chop the cod into small pieces and place into a bowl.
- Add onion (or shallots), finely chopped hot pepper, and finely chopped bell peppers. Add the shaved or finely slices of the carrot. Mix all the ingredients.
- Add the vinegar and oil and mix to combine.
- Let the codfish mixture marinate at least overnight before serving.
- Serve with cassava bread, baguette, or crackers.
Notes
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- Soak the codfish for at least 24 hours to remove the salt.
-
- Cut the codfish into small pieces when soaking to help the fish desalt faster.
-
- If, after desalting, you think the fish needs salt, do not add any. Mix all the ingredients and let marinate first. It is difficult to know how much salt the chiquetaille needs.
-
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
-
- Can I use fresh cod? No, if you want to create an authentic Caribbean dish. Yes, if you don’t mind, and looking to make ceviche. If the cod is not fresh, cook it in the oven for a few minutes to remove the excess moisture. Fresh cod contains a lot of moisture, be ready to adjust the flavors.
-
- Serve chiquetaille de morue with crusty bread, fried plantains, or cassava crackers.
-
- If you don’t have time to soak the salt cod overnight, you can speed up the process by soaking it in cold water for 2 hours, then changing the water and soaking it for another 2 hours. If it is still too salty, pour water into a deep pan – enough to cover the cod when the water is boiling. Bring the water to a boil, add a few drops of vinegar, and boil the cod for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cod from the boiling water and dry completely. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
-
- Be sure to flake the salt cod into small pieces to make it easy to eat.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
