At Restaurante Barceloneta, the cod cheek cooked in a llauna, is best enjoyed when you seek contrast: golden exterior, crispy skin and a juicy interior that flakes apart. It is a dish designed to arrive steaming hot at the centre of the table and set the tone with the very first bite. It works just as well for a quiet lunch as it does for a celebratory dinner, with that cuisine that needs no embellishment to shine.
Ingredients
For the cod (frying and searing)
- 220 g of cod snout
- Wheat flour (as needed for dusting)
- 250 g olive oil (for the first frying)
For the llauna (blanched with garlic and paprika)
- Sweet paprika from La Vera (as needed for sprinkling)
- 4 g of garlic
- 60–80 g olive oil (for browning the garlic and blanching)
For the garnish
- 150 g of cooked Ganchet beans
- Olive oil (enough to make approx. 350 g in total, for sautéing)
For the finish
- Fresh parsley (as needed, chopped)
- A dash of olive oil
Preparation
1) Heating the oil and preparing the cod
Heat 250 g of olive oil in a frying pan. As the temperature rises, dry thoroughly the cod snout with absorbent paper. This step makes all the difference in achieving a clean golden colour. Pass it through wheat flour, removing the excess so that the coating is thin.
2) Frying and browning
Place the cod snout in the oil with the skin facing upwardsover medium-high heat. Allow it to brown on the side in contact with the oil and, when it has browned, turn it over. Finish frying until golden brown on the other side. skin side until golden brown, ensuring that it is firm and crispy without drying out the inside.
3) Transfer to a tray and sprinkle with paprika
Place the cod snout on a tray with the skin facing downwards. Remove the oil from the pan and clean it. With the cod already resting, sprinkle with sweet paprika from La Vera, covering evenly.
4) Garlic browned and blanched in a pan
Return the pan to medium heat with 60–80 g of olive oil. Add the finely chopped garlic and brown it carefully so that it takes on colour without becoming bitter. Once it is browned, quickly blanch the cod snout: pour the oil with the garlic over the cod, using the heat to lock in the aromas and create that characteristic shiny coating.
5) Sautéed Ganchet beans
Drain the cooked Ganchet beans well. In another pan, sauté them with the remaining olive oil (until you have a total of approximately 350 g), just enough to heat them and make them pearly, without breaking them.
6) Passing plate
Place the cod snout on one side of the serving tray or plate and generously drizzle the oil with the browned garlic over the top. On the other side, place the Ganchet beans, already sautéed.
Decoration
- Add chopped fresh parsley on top of the cod to give a burst of freshness and visual contrast.
- Finish the beans with a drizzle of olive oil, aiming for shine and a clean final aroma.
- Serve the dish with the cod slightly raised above the beans so that the oil from the llauna is visible and can be scooped up with bread if desired, without adding anything else.
A bite that begs for more
If you feel like preparing this cod snout to the llauna with Ganchet beans, take care with the drying, browning and blanching: that’s where the character of the dish lies. And if you want to try it just as we serve it, visit us at Barceloneta Restaurant and enjoy it freshly made, with the oil still perfuming the table. Complete the recipe with the YouTube video: ingredients, texture and presentation.
