Bacalao con Garanzos (Cod with Chickpeas)

In March of 2015, Teresa and I were looking for some local cuisine in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We happened to walk  into a local  establishment, La Hacienda.  It is a hybrid between a small mom & pop grocery store and a restaurant.  They had a great assortment of cheese, fresh meat, wine and bread.  They also had a counter of pre-cooked, local favorites that were all sold by the pound.  On the inside, rice dishes and salads were in the refrigerator  case.   Main entrees were on top of the refrigerator case, almost too high for a grown man to see.   I, luckily, pointed to a dish I thought was chicken, tomatoes and chic peas.  To my surprise the protein was cod fish!   The dish was packed with flavor. I couldn’t wait to capture a picture of the label and give it a try for you.

English is the official language of Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately, the staff of La Hacienda spoke no English and there appeared to be no English speaking customers in the store during our visit.  Fortunately, we simply pointed to some local goodness and a corresponding container size, and a sweet lady filled them and weighed them for the checkout clerk.  La Hacienda had no dining space, but the front yard was full of lawn furniture that seated about fifty locals. With the temperature at 70 degrees and two blocks from the ocean, the front yard was perfect.

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds – Cod, fresh or frozen
• 2 Each – Large Onion, rough chop
• 2 Tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Each – Bell Peppers, chopped rough
• 4 Cloves – Garlic,minced
• 2 Each – 14.5 oz. Cans of Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Each – 14 oz. cans of Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 2 Teaspoons – Salt
• 1 Teaspoon – Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon – Oregano
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon – Turmeric
• 1 Teaspoon – Ground Cumin
• 1 Pinch – Saffron, ground
• 2 Each – Bay Leafs
• 2 Cups – Water
• 1/2 Cup – Fresh Parsley, optional

Preparation

1. In a large Dutch oven, saute the onions and bell peppers in the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 
2. When the onions become clear, add the garlic, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, water and seasoning.
3. Bring to medium heat and simmer for one hour.
4. Add the Cod and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the cod begins to break-up easily.
5. Add optional parsley at the very end.
6. Cook white or saffron rice as the perfect complement to your Bacalao con Garanzos.

Feeds eight adults and a bunch of kids that only know of Puerto Rico from Julio on Sanford and Son.

Note: To bring you this recipe I reviewed over a dozen videos in Spanish and translated several recipes from Spanish to English.  I got a good dose of personal preferences from the chefs such as this quote, “Let stand stew for a while before serving. In all legumes like to have a time of “meditation” before being devoured.”  You have to appreciate the passion and character that each chef adds to their dish as they prepare for their family or patrons.   I hope that passion is conveyed to YOUR family!