Rice with Cod Tongues
The first time I came across this rice with cod tongues, I must admit I was quite skeptical. Cod tongues aren’t something you see often in stores, and for those unfamiliar with them, they can seem rather strange. However, in Portugal, they are considered a delicacy and frequently appear on menus. I tried them at home using a local recipe and quickly understood why they are so appreciated. You just need to find salted and dried cod tongues, and the rest comes together quite naturally.
Quick Info
Total Time: about 12-16 hours (including soaking the tongues overnight)
Active Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking Time: about 20-25 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium
Recipe Type: main fish dish, traditional Portuguese recipe
Ingredients
500 g cod tongues (salted and dried)
4 handfuls of round-grain rice
1 medium onion
1 ripe tomato
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt
whole peppercorns and freshly ground pepper
hot sauce (optional)
fresh coriander (a few sprigs and extra for serving)
olive oil
hot water
Preparation Method
1. Soaking the Cod Tongues
Start the night before: place the cod tongues in a bowl of cold water, cover, and let them soak overnight. Change the water 2-3 times if you have time.
2. Boiling the Cod Tongues
The next day, rinse the tongues with cold water. Put them in a pot with clean water, a few peppercorns, and 2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander. Bring to a boil, and once boiling, let them cook for about 7 minutes. Remove the tongues and let them cool slightly. Do not discard the water they boiled in; you’ll need it for the rice.
3. Preparing the Tongues
When the cod tongues are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized cubes. The meat becomes slightly gelatinous but retains enough texture.
4. Vegetable Base for the Rice
Finely chop the onion. Heat a wide skillet or pot over low heat, add olive oil, and sauté the onion until it softens well. Don’t rush this step; it’s important for flavor.
5. Tomato and Tomato Paste
Add the diced tomato to the skillet, stir, and let it cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Then add the tablespoon of tomato paste. I used tomato paste with onion and basil, which works very well if you have it on hand, but it’s not mandatory.
6. The Rice
Add the rice to the vegetables and stir for 1 minute, allowing it to coat with the oil and absorb the flavors.
7. Cooking the Rice
Pour the hot water from boiling the cod tongues over the rice. Keep the classic ratio for creamy rice: there should be enough liquid, but not too much at the start; you can add more as needed if it reduces too quickly. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover.
8. Adding the Tongues and Finishing
When the rice is almost done (about 5 minutes before finishing), add the cod tongue cubes. Gently stir and let it simmer, adding warm water if necessary. The rice should remain creamy, not too dry.
9. Seasoning
Finally, when you turn off the heat, add freshly ground pepper and chopped green coriander. If you want a bit of heat, add hot sauce to taste.
10. Serving
Serve the rice hot, topped with extra coriander. It pairs well with either white or dry red wine and, if you like, a simple green salad.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
This recipe is practical if you have cod tongues on hand and want something different from classic fish recipes. It has a rich flavor, and the texture of the tongues makes the rice turn out differently than with regular fish fillets. It can be easily adapted, and the main ingredients are few.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Don’t skip soaking the tongues overnight; otherwise, they will be too salty.
Boil the tongues for only 7 minutes, no more, to avoid them becoming rubbery.
Use fresh coriander, not dried, for an authentic taste.
Substitutions
If you can’t find cod tongues, you can try using salted and dried cod fillets, but the texture won’t be the same.
If you don’t have flavored tomato paste, use a teaspoon of plain tomato paste and possibly a bit of fresh basil at the end.
Variations
You can add bell peppers or a stalk of celery to the onion base, but in Portugal, it’s typically kept quite simple.
The rice can be adjusted for liquid, to achieve a consistency closer to risotto or drier.
Serving Ideas
Pair it with a green leaf salad or just some sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.
A glass of dry white wine, especially if the recipe is slightly spicy.
It can also be served at lunch, not just for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make the rice with fresh cod tongues?
No, the recipe relies on salted and dried cod tongues, as used in Portuguese bacalhau. Fresh ones would be too bland and the result would be different.
Should the water used for boiling the tongues be strained?
If you see impurities or foam, yes, strain it before using it for the rice.
Can I use long-grain rice?
I recommend round or risotto-type rice to achieve creamy rice. Long-grain rice won’t bind the same way, and the result won’t be the same.
Does the rice need to be rinsed beforehand?
No, it’s not necessary; in fact, a bit of starch helps with the final texture.
Is coriander mandatory?
No, but it changes the flavor quite a bit. You can use parsley if you can’t stand coriander, but the recipe will be less Portuguese.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, for a medium serving (out of four):
Calories: 350-400 kcal
Protein: 22-25 g
Carbohydrates: 50-55 g
Fats: 6-8 g (depends on how much oil you use)
Sodium: high, due to the salted fish (even after desalting)
The values are indicative and may vary based on the exact amount of fish, oil, and how well the bacalhau is desalted.
Storage and Reheating
Rice with cod tongues isn’t one of those dishes that keeps well. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in a sealed container, but consume within 24 hours. When reheating, add a little warm water to restore the creamy texture. After a day, the taste and texture won’t be as good.
The first time I came across this rice with cod tongues, I must admit I was quite skeptical. Cod tongues aren’t something you see often in stores, and for those unfamiliar with them, they can seem rather strange. However, in Portugal, they are considered a delicacy and frequently appear on menus. I tried them at home using a local recipe and quickly understood why they are so appreciated. You just need to find salted and dried cod tongues, and the rest comes together quite naturally.
Quick Info
Total Time: about 12-16 hours (including soaking the tongues overnight)
Active Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking Time: about 20-25 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium
Recipe Type: main fish dish, traditional Portuguese recipe
Ingredients
500 g cod tongues (salted and dried)
4 handfuls of round-grain rice
1 medium onion
1 ripe tomato
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt
whole peppercorns and freshly ground pepper
hot sauce (optional)
fresh coriander (a few sprigs and extra for serving)
olive oil
hot water
Preparation Method
1. Soaking the Cod Tongues
Start the night before: place the cod tongues in a bowl of cold water, cover, and let them soak overnight. Change the water 2-3 times if you have time.
2. Boiling the Cod Tongues
The next day, rinse the tongues with cold water. Put them in a pot with clean water, a few peppercorns, and 2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander. Bring to a boil, and once boiling, let them cook for about 7 minutes. Remove the tongues and let them cool slightly. Do not discard the water they boiled in; you’ll need it for the rice.
3. Preparing the Tongues
When the cod tongues are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized cubes. The meat becomes slightly gelatinous but retains enough texture.
4. Vegetable Base for the Rice
Finely chop the onion. Heat a wide skillet or pot over low heat, add olive oil, and sauté the onion until it softens well. Don’t rush this step; it’s important for flavor.
5. Tomato and Tomato Paste
Add the diced tomato to the skillet, stir, and let it cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Then add the tablespoon of tomato paste. I used tomato paste with onion and basil, which works very well if you have it on hand, but it’s not mandatory.
6. The Rice
Add the rice to the vegetables and stir for 1 minute, allowing it to coat with the oil and absorb the flavors.
7. Cooking the Rice
Pour the hot water from boiling the cod tongues over the rice. Keep the classic ratio for creamy rice: there should be enough liquid, but not too much at the start; you can add more as needed if it reduces too quickly. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover.
8. Adding the Tongues and Finishing
When the rice is almost done (about 5 minutes before finishing), add the cod tongue cubes. Gently stir and let it simmer, adding warm water if necessary. The rice should remain creamy, not too dry.
9. Seasoning
Finally, when you turn off the heat, add freshly ground pepper and chopped green coriander. If you want a bit of heat, add hot sauce to taste.
10. Serving
Serve the rice hot, topped with extra coriander. It pairs well with either white or dry red wine and, if you like, a simple green salad.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
This recipe is practical if you have cod tongues on hand and want something different from classic fish recipes. It has a rich flavor, and the texture of the tongues makes the rice turn out differently than with regular fish fillets. It can be easily adapted, and the main ingredients are few.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Don’t skip soaking the tongues overnight; otherwise, they will be too salty.
Boil the tongues for only 7 minutes, no more, to avoid them becoming rubbery.
Use fresh coriander, not dried, for an authentic taste.
Substitutions
If you can’t find cod tongues, you can try using salted and dried cod fillets, but the texture won’t be the same.
If you don’t have flavored tomato paste, use a teaspoon of plain tomato paste and possibly a bit of fresh basil at the end.
Variations
You can add bell peppers or a stalk of celery to the onion base, but in Portugal, it’s typically kept quite simple.
The rice can be adjusted for liquid, to achieve a consistency closer to risotto or drier.
Serving Ideas
Pair it with a green leaf salad or just some sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.
A glass of dry white wine, especially if the recipe is slightly spicy.
It can also be served at lunch, not just for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make the rice with fresh cod tongues?
No, the recipe relies on salted and dried cod tongues, as used in Portuguese bacalhau. Fresh ones would be too bland and the result would be different.
Should the water used for boiling the tongues be strained?
If you see impurities or foam, yes, strain it before using it for the rice.
Can I use long-grain rice?
I recommend round or risotto-type rice to achieve creamy rice. Long-grain rice won’t bind the same way, and the result won’t be the same.
Does the rice need to be rinsed beforehand?
No, it’s not necessary; in fact, a bit of starch helps with the final texture.
Is coriander mandatory?
No, but it changes the flavor quite a bit. You can use parsley if you can’t stand coriander, but the recipe will be less Portuguese.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, for a medium serving (out of four):
Calories: 350-400 kcal
Protein: 22-25 g
Carbohydrates: 50-55 g
Fats: 6-8 g (depends on how much oil you use)
Sodium: high, due to the salted fish (even after desalting)
The values are indicative and may vary based on the exact amount of fish, oil, and how well the bacalhau is desalted.
Storage and Reheating
Rice with cod tongues isn’t one of those dishes that keeps well. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in a sealed container, but consume within 24 hours. When reheating, add a little warm water to restore the creamy texture. After a day, the taste and texture won’t be as good.