Bacalao is the spanish term for dried and salted codfish. this old-world method of drying codfish has been around for over 500 years and was a main staple of protein for many countries around europe. each country has their own name for it but the word mainly comes from the root bacal. the portuguese word for salt cod is bacalhau while in italian it is baccala, and in croatia it is bakalar. heading north, in norway, it is known as klippfisk and it goes by saltfiskur. in iceland it is moure and in france is called brandade de morue. reaching the shores of the caribbean, it is simply known as saltfish.
Desalting and refreshing dried cod, take fish out of the box and cover the fish with approximately 2 inches of cold water in a large bowl. put the bowl in the refrigerator and soak for up to 3 days, changing the water at least 3 times a day.