Salt Cod and Chickpea Garlic Salad

Place the salt cod in cold water and soak in the refrigerator, changing the water every 4 hours, for 24 hours total. The patience here is not optional.

Drain and rinse the soaked cod. Place in a pot with fresh cold water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

Poach the cod at a bare simmer for 8-10 minutes until it flakes easily when pressed. Drain and let cool slightly.

Using your fingers, flake the cod into large bite-sized pieces, removing any remaining bones or skin. Set aside.

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight in cold water, drain, and simmer in fresh water for 1-1.5 hours until tender.

Season the warm chickpeas with a pinch of salt. Let them cool to room temperature before assembling the salad.

In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil with the whole garlic cloves. Place over the lowest heat setting and let the garlic slowly infuse the oil for 8-10 minutes until soft, golden, and fragrant. You want it gentle — no sizzling, no browning, just a slow whisper of garlic surrendering to the oil.

Remove from heat and let the garlic oil cool until just warm.

Thinly slice the yellow onion into half-moons and soak in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the bite. Drain and pat dry.

In a wide shallow bowl, arrange the flaked salt cod and chickpeas together. Scatter the drained onion rings over the top.

Pour the warm garlic oil generously over everything, making sure the soft garlic cloves are distributed equally.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the salad. Season with black pepper and a small pinch of flaky salt.

Tear the parsley leaves and scatter them across the top. Give a gentle toss or two to combine, but leave the salad with some rustic character — not too neat.

Let the salad rest for 5 minutes before serving, allowing the flavors to marry and the garlic oil to coat everything with its golden devotion.