Simple Spanish Food

Favorite Tapas in Spain: Casa Labra, Madrid

One of my all-time favorite tapas in Spain is the fried salt cod at Casa Labra--the old restaurant and taberna in Madrid. One of Ana's all-time favorite tapas is Casa Labra's salt cod croquettes. So whenever we're in Madrid (and we were these last two weeks), we go to Casa Labra.

In the picture below, the  croquette is on the left and the fried bacalao--also called soldaditos de Pavia, or "little soldiers of Pavia"--is on the right. Ana had her croquette with a caña (short beer) and I had mine with the house wine--a Valdepeñas, I think. Both were beautiful.

What makes these tapas so fabulous is the salt cod, which is Casa Labra's specialty.   Andrés, Ana's dad, always praised it as top quality. One of things I like about the cod at Casa Labra is that they use the fattier, bonier cuts. These cuts may not have the reputation (or price) of the solomillo or lomo de bacalao, but they have a great texture and flavor, and they are perfect for these tapas--far more so than the more expensive cuts would be.  You may come across a bone in the fried cod (not the croquette) at Casa Labra,  but don't worry. The bones are few and large and no more difficult to manage than those of a buffalo wing. 

Casa Labra is an old-fashioned place (it was founded in 1860) and thankfully  still does things in the old way. This can be confusing to the newcomer.   You buy the tapa or pincho at a side counter, and the drinks at the bar. You pay for each separately.    

Here's the side counter (to your right as you enter).

And here's the bar.

 

You can find Casa Labra right in the center of Madrid, near Puerta del Sol, at Tetuán 12.

A Simple Spanish Recipe for Rice with Salt Cod (arroz con bacalao)

Rice with salt cod (arroz con bacalao) is another easy, tasty, one-pot meal.  Esperanza, my mother-in-law, makes it for me whenever I'm in Spain, and I love it. This is real Spanish home-cooking.   As with any Spanish rice dish, it's extremely important to start with the right rice. Use Calasparra or Bomba, or a paella rice such as La Marjal. Italian arborio rice is not quite the same, but it makes a pretty good substitute. Whatever you do, don't try this with the regular short- or long-grain rices usually found in grocery stores. The results will be disappointing (as I know from bitter experience). The rice really does matter.

As with my recipe for bacalao con salsa de tomate, start with good salt cod. Latin American groceries often carry it.  La Tienda also sells top quality salt cod.  Remember, salt cod needs 24 hours or more soaking, so plan ahead. Otherwise, this dish is easy.

Here's how to do it: 

Ingredients:

1 cup of Spanish rice (Calasparra or Bomba, or a paella rice such as La Marjal. Or substitute Italian arborio)

1/2 pound of salt cod fillets

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 large onion

3 or 4 small tomatoes, or 1 or 2 large ones, chopped

1/2 a large red sweet pepper (bell, cubanelle, marconi, etc.), sliced

a tablespoon of chopped parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped

a small pinch of saffron, ground with a little salt in a mortar

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

First, soak the salt cod for 24 hours (see my directions for soaking salt cod in my post on bacalao con salsa de tomate). 

Heat a large skillet. Saute the chopped onion in olive oil. Add the sliced red pepper. When the onion is soft and translucent, add the garlic. Stir. Add the chopped tomato, the parsley, the saffron, and a pinch of black pepper.  When the tomato is soft, add the rice and stir well.  Let the rice "fry" for a few minutes. 

 Arrange the fillets in a single layer over the rice. Add two cups of water (a little more if you like wetter rice). Add salt--but go easy. The salt cod may still be somewhat salty.  I usually add 1/2 teaspoon or less.

Bring the rice and bacalao to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium. Let the rice cook, uncovered, for twenty minutes. Towards the end, keep an eye on the rice. Check it by inserting a wooden spoon. A crust may form at the bottom of the pan (this is ideal) but you don't want it to burn. If you think it will, turn down the heat some and/or add a little more water.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Let the rice and bacalao rest for 10 minutes (this is important) and serve.

A Simple Spanish Recipe for Salt Cod in Tomato Sauce, bacalao en salsa de tomate

Salt cod in tomato sauce (bacalao en salsa de tomate) is an easy, convenient, and delicious one-dish meal.  If most fish-and-tomato dishes are too fishy for you (they often are for me), try this. Salt cod in tomato sauce is much milder and cleaner tasting than, say, fresh tuna or swordfish in tomato sauce.

All you need is a good tomato sauce (see my recipe for easy Spanish tomato sauce), a cazuela (if you want to be authentic), and good salt cod (bacalao). It does not have to be great salt cod, which is difficult to find in the U.S. and expensive. But you do want to search out good salt cod (which may be various other types of cod-like fish preserved in salt). I've had luck finding quality salt cod in Latin American groceries.

Note: salt cod must be soaked for 24 hours (more or less, depending on the salt cod) in several changes of water, so it's necessary to plan ahead for this dish. Otherwise, nothing could be simpler. 

Here's how to do it:

1 lb of quality salt cod fillets

tomato sauce  (see my recipe for easy Spanish tomato sauce)

Steamed baby English peas (for garnish)

Rinse off the salt cod fillets. Place them in a bowl, cover them with cold water. Put them in the fridge. Let them soak for 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours.  If the salt cod you're using is 1 inch thick or thicker, you may want to soak it even longer, up to 48 hours.  If the fillets are thinner, you can soak it 18 hours, and so on. These are general guidelines.  The saltiness of salt cod can vary, so experiment with soaking times.

Here's a pic of some salt cod fillets before soaking:

And here's a pic of salt cod fillets after they have been soaked.

Make the tomato sauce. While it's simmering, heat a cazuela, or a casserole dish, in a 375 degree oven.  

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce across the bottom of the cazuela. (Both the cazuela and the sauce should be hot). Arrange the cod fillets in the cazuela in a single layer. Top them with the rest of the hot tomato sauce. Bake them in the oven for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The  sauce should just begin to bubble.

Garnish with steamed peas. Serve this with good bread and a simple Spanish red wine.