Salt Cod
(serves four people)
The baccalà has to be soaked in several changes of cold water over two days before cooking so make sure you start this in time. Once this is done, rinse the cod and check it with your fingers, removing any bones.
Leave the skin intact to stop the cod disintegrating as it cooks. Cut into five or six pieces.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the onion and chilli slowly until the onion is soft and transparent. Add the tomatoes, squash them down, and gently cook for about 20 minutes.
Lay the cod pieces on top of the tomato sauce, add the prunes and, with the saucepan lid on, steam the fish through - it takes barely 15 minutes. Taste at the end of cooking. It shouldn’t need any salt, but add some chopped flat-leaf parsley.