Roberto Alcocer is the chef at Valle in Oceanside. This summer, the contemporary Mexican restaurant received its first Michelin star, a long-held dream for him. It makes Valle one of only seven Mexican restaurants to receive a Michelin star in the United States. Now that it's winter, Alcocer is getting ready for another celebration — Los Posadas.
Tetela di birria is one of the standout dishes at Valle. Photo by Jordan Younis.
Honored in Mexico for ten nights in December, the holiday commemorates Joseph and Mary's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem as they sought a safe place where Mary could give birth to Jesus. Tamales, salted cod, and a piñata with seven spikes representing the seven deadly sins are all part of the festivities. For his bacalao, Alcocer rinses the cod several times, a process that can take up to three days.
In Los Angeles, Olvera Street will host nightly Las Posadas celebrations from December 16 through December 24.
Bacalao a la Vizcaina
Ingredients
- 1 pound salted cod fish
- 4 medium potatoes, sliced thick
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup pitted green olives1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
- ½ cup golden raisin
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of cumin
- Pinch of dried oregano
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup white wine
Instructions
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Soak salted cod in about 2 quarts of water, changing the water three times over the course of 8 hours for 2 days. Drain, then cut cod into bite-sized pieces.
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Add fish to a large pot and cover with water. Bring pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer (medium heat or lower) with the lid askew. After 15 minutes, drain the cod and flake the fish into delicious, tender pieces with a fork.
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In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Layer half of the potatoes, cod, garlic, onion, bell peppers, olives, capers, raisins, oregano, tomato sauce, paprika, cumin, and 1/4 cup olive oil in the skillet. Then add a second layer with the other half of the ingredients.
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When your layering is complete, pour the remaining olive oil, white wine, and water over the skillet. Give it a nice shake so the liquid distributes evenly over the ingredients. Tuck in a bay leaf for extra flavor.
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Finally, bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. After 30 minutes, those potatoes will be nice and tender, and your kitchen will smell just as good as your bacalao a la vizcaina tastes.