Basque Country · Spain
Bacalao al Pil-Pil
A defining dish of Basque cuisine, bacalao al pil-pil is salt cod cooked gently in olive oil with garlic and guindilla until the fish's gelatin emulsifies the oil into a pale, glossy sauce.
Approximate, per 1 cod fillet (~200g) with sauce. Values vary by recipe and portion.
Where it comes from
A defining dish of Basque cuisine, bacalao al pil-pil is salt cod cooked gently in olive oil with garlic and guindilla until the fish's gelatin emulsifies the oil into a pale, glossy sauce. It is tied to Bilbao and the 19th-century salt-cod trade, and legend links it to the 1835 Carlist siege when a merchant's overstock of cod fed the city. The name 'pil-pil' mimics the sound of the bubbling sauce.
Where to eat Bacalao al Pil-Pil
0 restaurants worldwide serve it.
The variants
Al pil-pil clásico
Only cod, oil, garlic and chili emulsified by swirling the cazuela.
A la vizcaína
Alternative Basque style in a red sauce of choricero peppers and onion.
Al pil-pil con gambas
Modern version adding prawns to the emulsion.
Kokotxas al pil-pil
Made with prized cod or hake throat/cheek morsels instead of fillet.
Cook it yourself
- Bacalao al Pil-Pil
A cornerstone of Basque cooking: salt cod poached gently in olive oil with garlic and guindilla until its own gelatin emulsifies the oil into a pale, glossy pil-pil sauce. The magic is entirely in the wrist, coaxing the sauce together with patience.