Fanesca (Fanesca) — Ecuadorian Holy Week Cod and Grain Soup

• 450 gboneless skinless salt cod (bacalao, soaked before cooking)
• 3000 mlcold water (for soaking and changing twice)
• 1500 mlwhole milk
• 750 mlwater
• 900 gzapallo or kabocha squash (peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks)
• 500 gsambo or zucchini (peeled if tough, seeded if needed, and diced)
• 160 graw unsalted peanuts
• 45 mlachiote oil
• 2white onion (finely diced)
• 5 clovegarlic (minced)
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 5 gfine sea salt (use only after tasting the soaked cod base)
• 150 gcooked rice
• 260 gcooked mote (Ecuadorian hominy)
• 300 gcooked corn kernels
• 260 gcooked fava beans (peeled for a finer texture)
• 260 gcooked peas
• 260 gcooked lentils
• 260 gcooked white beans
• 260 gcooked chickpeas
• 220 gcooked chochos (lupini beans, rinsed well)
• 250 ggreen cabbage (finely shredded)
• 220 gqueso fresco (160 g crumbled into the soup, 60 g for garnish)
• 25 gunsalted butter
• 120 mlheavy cream
• 12 sprigcilantro (finely chopped)
• 8 sprigflat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 4hard-boiled eggs (peeled and halved)
• 2ripe plantains (sliced on the diagonal)
• 60 mlneutral oil (for frying the plantain slices)
• 120 mlaji criollo (served at the table)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the salt cod under cold running water, then place it in a nonreactive bowl with 3000 ml cold water. Refrigerate it for 24 hours, changing the water twice during that time so the bacalao keeps its character but loses excess salt.

2. 2

   Drain the soaked cod and place it in a saucepan with 750 ml water and 500 ml of the whole milk. Bring it just to a gentle simmer, cook for 12 minutes, then lift the fish out and reserve the milky cooking liquid for the fanesca.

3. 3

   When the cod is cool enough to handle, flake it into generous bite-size pieces and remove any hidden bones. Keep the flakes covered so they do not dry out while you build the soup base.

4. 4

   Put the zapallo and sambo in a large pot with the reserved cod cooking liquid. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely tender and beginning to collapse.

5. 5

   Blend the peanuts with 500 ml of the remaining whole milk until very smooth. For a traditional creamy texture, blend for at least 90 seconds and scrape down the blender jar once so no gritty peanut pieces remain.

6. 6

   In a separate large heavy pot, warm the achiote oil over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges, then stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and paprika for 1 minute to make an Ecuadorian-style refrito.

7. 7

   Mash the cooked zapallo and sambo directly in their liquid until the mixture is thick but not perfectly smooth. Add this squash base to the refrito pot, then stir in the peanut milk and the remaining 500 ml whole milk.

8. 8

   Add the cooked rice, mote, corn, fava beans, peas, lentils, white beans, chickpeas, chochos, and shredded cabbage. Simmer very gently for 30 minutes, stirring from the bottom every few minutes because fanesca thickens quickly and can scorch.

9. 9

   Fold in the flaked bacalao, 160 g crumbled queso fresco, butter, and cream. Simmer for 10 minutes more on low heat, then taste the soup and add the measured 5 g salt only if the cod has not seasoned the pot enough.

10. 10

    Heat 60 ml neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the ripe plantain slices for about 2 minutes per side until browned and soft. Drain them on a rack or paper towel so they stay sweet and tender rather than greasy.

11. 11

    Stir the chopped cilantro and most of the parsley into the hot soup just before serving. Ladle the fanesca into bowls and garnish each serving with half a hard-boiled egg, fried ripe plantain, reserved queso fresco, parsley, and a spoonful of aji criollo at the table.