Picillo, also known as Pisillo, is a traditional Colombian dish from Los Llanos Orientales. This region covers most of the area of the departments of Arauca, Meta, Vichada and Casanare. Picillo is also a very popular dish in Venezuela, while each country has it's own variations, and can be made with dried meat or fish.
Picillo de Pescado (Salted Fish with Tomato and Onions)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of salted codfish bacalao
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 scallions diced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon of ground achiote or color
Instructions
- Soak the codfish overnight in water, changing the water 2 times.
- In a medium pot, with enough water to cover the salted codfish, cook for about 15 minutes. Strain and remove any bones. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan warm the oil. Add the onion, scallions, red bell pepper, tomato and garlic. Cook until all the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes more.
- Serve warm with arepa on the side.
Picillo de Pescado is made with salted fish and hogao made with scallions, onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro, achiote and tomato. It is usually served for breakfast with arepa on the side. Some cooks also add scrambled eggs to their picillo, but I made it the traditional way.
Buen provecho!
Alan Bowman
Hola Erica from Spain
My first encounter with bacalao salado was in Spain as an invited guest with Alejandra to cena on Viernes Santo - fish soup with capers - it was absolutely vile, really disgusting. It was with a very great deal of effort that I had to say it was fine, very difficult if one's mouth is all screwed up as if one has just taken a bite out of a very tart lemon right after one has had a spoonful of arequipe.
Alan
Angie@Angie's Recipes
It must be very flavourful with salted fish.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
A great breakfast dish indeed, looks so good. i have yet to buy an cook with salted fish.
ela@GrayApron
I have never tried salted fish....now I would know what to do with it! Thanks, looks fantastic.