Puerto Rican Cod, Cassava and Roasted Pepper Casserole with Casabe Crust

Name: Puerto Rican Cod, Cassava and Roasted Pepper Casserole with Casabe Crust
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Puertorriqueña
Ingredients: 21 oz salt cod; 2 lb cassava; 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper; 1 1/4 cups yellow onion; 1/2 cup sweet chili pepper; 8 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup culantro; 1 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup green olives; 1 tbsp capers; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 5 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup milk; 1 cup vegetable broth or water; 3 oz cassava flatbread; 4 oz fresh white cheese; 1 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice

An original Puerto Rican-inspired casserole that brings together desalted cod in a criollo sofrito, mashed cassava with garlic, roasted peppers, and a crisp casabe and olive oil topping. Comforting, flavorful, and full of classic island textures.

30 minPrep

45 minCook

75 minTotal

6Servings

Gluten-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

600 g salt cod (desalado, without espinas and desmenuzado)
900 g cassava (pelada and en trozos)
200 g red bell pepper (in strips)
180 g yellow onion (chopped diced small)
60 g sweet chili pepper (without semillas and chopped)
24 g garlic (6 cloves chopped and 2 cloves machacados)
20 g culantro (chopped fino)
240 ml tomato sauce (without sugar added)
70 g green olives (slices)
16 g capers (escurridas)
2 g dried oregano
1 g ground cumin
2 g smoked paprika
75 ml olive oil (divided)
30 g butter
120 ml milk (whole or baja en grasa)
240 ml vegetable broth or water (for ajustar textura)
90 g cassava flatbread (crushed en migas small)
120 g fresh white cheese (desmoronado)
2 g black pepper (or to taste)
3 g salt (solo for the yuca, ajustar with cuidado por the bacalao)
15 ml lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Nutrition facts

per serving

412 kcal

Calories

24 g

Protein

36 g

Carbs

19 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

31 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

DairyFish

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Place the red bell pepper strips on a baking sheet, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and roast for 18 to 20 minutes until tender and lightly charred. Set aside.
2
2. Meanwhile, boil the cassava in a large pot with enough water for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain, remove any woody center fibers, and keep warm.
3
3. If the cod is still very salty, place it in a saucepan with water, bring to a gentle boil for 8 minutes, drain, and flake it. Set aside.
4
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion, sweet chili pepper, and 6 chopped garlic cloves for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant and softened.
5
5. Add the culantro, tomato sauce, green olives, capers, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to fully combine the sofrito.
6
6. Stir in the flaked cod and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth or water. Cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until you have a moist but not runny filling. Add the lemon juice and mix. Set aside.
7
7. In a large bowl, mash the warm cassava with the butter, milk, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt, and the remaining broth little by little until you get a rustic mash that is smooth but still firm.
8
8. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F / 200°C. Lightly grease a roughly 33 x 23 cm / 13 x 9 inch baking dish with a little of the remaining olive oil.
9
9. Spread half of the mashed cassava on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cod filling and then distribute the roasted peppers over it. Add the crumbled fresh white cheese.
10
10. Cover with the remaining cassava mash, smoothing the top with a spoon. Mix the cassava flatbread crumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter evenly on top.
11
11. Bake the casserole at 400°F / 200°C for 20 minutes. Then switch on the broiler and brown for 2 to 4 more minutes, watching closely, until the casabe crust is crisp and lightly golden.
12
12. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving so the casserole can set and be easier to portion.

Chef tips

For deeper flavor, roast the peppers until the edges are nicely charred. If the cod is still too salty, give it a second brief boil before flaking. Add the casabe topping only at the end with oil so it stays crisp.

Substitutions

You can substitute the fresh white cheese with mild feta or use extra casabe if you want less dairy. Culantro can be replaced with cilantro, though the flavor will be less traditional. If fresh cassava is unavailable, use frozen cassava.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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