Bring Newfoundland Home with a Comfort–Food Classic

Recipe for Fish and Brewis, Scrunchions and Drawn Butter

For the Fish and Brewis and the scrunchions

Serves 4–6

• 450 g boneless salt cod

• 2 pieces hard bread or hard tack

• 50 g fatback pork, cur into small dice

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

• 4 medium potatoes, cut into medium dice

• salt and pepper

For the drawn butter

• 100 g unsalted butter

• 2 onions, cut into fine dice

• 2½ tablespoons all–purpose flour

• 375 ml hot water

• sea salt and pepper

Directions

1. Make the fish and brewis and the scrunchions: About 24 hours before preparation, soak the salt cod in cold water in a bowl. Ensure you change the water 2–3 times during the soaking process.

2. Soak the hard bread or hard tack in water in a separate bowl overnight.

3. Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the fatback dice and fry for 5–7 minutes until rendered, golden, and crispy. These are now scrunchions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the scrunchions to a bowl. Set aside and keep warm. Remove 1 tablespoon of the pork fat from the skillet and reserve.

4. Add the sliced onion to the skillet and fry over medium heat for 45 minutes, until translucent.

5. Drain the salt cold of soaking water, place it in a saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Simmer over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until cooked through and flaky. Remove the fish from the saucepan and set aside, keeping it warm.

6. While the cod is simmering, put the potato dice into a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are almost cooked through. Now drain the soaking hard bread, lay it on top of the potato, and continue to cook for 3–4 minutes, to allow the bread to warm and steam. When your potato is cooked, remove it and the bread from the saucepan and place in a large bowl.

7. Make the drawn butter: Heat the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Add the hot water and stir constantly until the mixture has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Flake apart your salt cod, then add the flakes, along with the caramelized onion, to the bowl containing the potato and bread. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold everything together, then serve with drawn butter, the reserved pork fat, and scrunchions.
    

From the book Wildness: An Ode to Newfoundland and Labrador, by Jeremy Charles and Adam Leith Gollner (©Phaidon, 2019).