At Restaurante Barceloneta, the cod cheek a la llauna is enjoyed when you are looking for contrast: golden exterior, crispy skin and a juicy interior that opens up in flakes. It is a dish designed to arrive steaming at the centre of the table and let the first bite set the pace. It works equally well at a quiet lunch or a celebratory dinner, with that produce-driven cooking that needs no adornment to shine.
Ingredients
For the cod (frying and searing)
- 220 g of cod cheek
- Wheat flour (as needed for coating)
- 250 g of olive oil (for the first fry)
For the llauna (scalding with garlic and paprika)
- Sweet smoked paprika from La Vera (as needed for sprinkling)
- 4 g of garlic
- 60–80 g of olive oil (for browning the garlic and scalding)
For the garnish
- 150 g of cooked Ganchet beans
- Olive oil (remainder to reach approx. 350 g total, for sautéing)
For the finishing
- Fresh parsley (as needed, chopped)
- A drizzle of olive oil
Method
1) Heating the oil and preparing the cod
Heat 250 g of olive oil in a pan. While the temperature rises, pat the cod cheek dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. This step makes all the difference for a clean, even golden crust. Coat it in wheat flour, shaking off the excess so the layer stays thin.
2) Frying and achieving the golden crust
Place the cod cheek in the oil with the skin facing up, over medium-high heat. Let it brown on the side in contact with the oil and, once coloured, turn it over. Finish frying on the skin side, aiming for a firm and crispy skin without drying out the interior.
3) Transfer to tray and paprika dusting
Remove the cod cheek to a tray with the skin facing down. Discard the oil from the pan and wipe it clean. With the cod resting, dust it evenly with sweet smoked paprika from La Vera.
4) Golden garlic and llauna scalding
Return the pan to medium heat with 60–80 g of olive oil. Add the very finely chopped garlic and brown it carefully so it colours without turning bitter. As soon as it is golden, quickly scald the cod cheek: pour the oil with the garlic over the cod, using the heat to fix the aromas and create that characteristic glossy coating.
5) Sautéing the Ganchet beans
Drain the cooked Ganchet beans well. In another pan, sauté them with the remaining olive oil (to reach approx. 350 g total), just enough to heat them through and give them a pearly finish, without breaking them.
6) Plating
Plate the cod cheek on one side of the serving dish and spoon the oil with golden garlic generously over the top. On the other side, arrange the sautéed Ganchet beans.
Decoration
- Add fresh chopped parsley over the cod cheek for a burst of freshness and visual contrast.
- Finish the beans with a drizzle of olive oil, adding gloss and a clean final fragrance.
- Present the dish with the cod slightly elevated above the beans, so the llauna oil is visible and can be mopped up with bread if desired, without adding anything else.
A bite that calls for another
If you try making this cod cheek a la llauna with Ganchet beans at home, pay close attention to the drying, the browning and the scalding: that is where the character of the dish lives. And if you want to try it exactly as we serve it, visit us at Restaurante Barceloneta and enjoy it freshly made, with the oil still perfuming the table. Complete the recipe with the YouTube video: ingredients, texture and plating.
