Salada de Bacalhau com Grão-de-Bico

Ingredients

• 400 gsalt cod — desalted, poached, and flaked
• 400 gcooked chickpeas — drained
• 1sweet onion — thinly sliced
• 3hard-boiled eggs — quartered
• 4 tbspflat-leaf parsley — chopped
• 2 clovesgarlic — minced
• 120 mlextra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
• to tastefine sea salt

Method

1. Begin by preparing the salt cod. Rinse 400 g of salt cod under cold running water to remove excess salt. Place it in a large bowl and cover with fresh water. Refrigerate and soak for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water every 8 hours. Once desalinated, drain and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the desalted cod and poach for about 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the cod from the water and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, flake the cod into bite-sized pieces, discarding any skin or bones.
3. While the cod is cooling, prepare the other ingredients. Thinly slice 1 sweet onion and finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. In a large mixing bowl, combine 400 g of cooked chickpeas, the sliced onion, and the chopped garlic.
4. Prepare the dressing by whisking together 120 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar, and a pinch of fine sea salt in a small bowl. Taste the dressing to ensure the balance of acidity and seasoning is to your liking. Adjust with more salt if necessary.
5. Add the flaked cod to the mixing bowl with the chickpeas and onion. Pour the dressing over the mixture and gently fold everything together using a large spoon. Be careful to keep the cod, eggs, and chickpeas intact, avoiding any mashing.
6. Peel and quarter 3 hard-boiled eggs. Add them to the salad, folding gently to incorporate without breaking the yolks. Allow the salad to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. This resting time will soften the onion and allow the flavors to meld.
7. Just before serving, finely chop 4 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley and sprinkle it over the salad. Drizzle a final thread of olive oil over the top for added richness. Serve the salad at room temperature, allowing the flavors to shine through in the traditional Lisboa style.