Group · Fish
Desalted salt cod
Salt cod (morue in French) is cod that has been salted and dried, an ancient method of preservation that remains the basis of brandade, accras and Portuguese bacalhau. It is desalted for 24 to 36 hours in cold water, changed regularly, before use.
On the nutrition side, after desalting and cooking, it provides 113 kcal per 100 g, with 26 g of protein, only 1.01 g of fat and no carbohydrate. It provides 2.2 µg of vitamin B12, 20.7 µg of selenium and 64.9 mg of calcium. What remains is the salt: 5.8 g per 100 g even after desalting. Desalting reduces it, it does not erase it.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 113 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 480 kJ |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Fat | 1,1 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B122,2 µg88 %
- DHA0,15 g60 %
- Iodine74 µg49 %
- Selenium20,7 µg38 %
- Vitamin D1,25 µg25 %
- EPA0,05 g20 %
- Vitamin B923,5 µg12 %
- Copper0,09 mg9 %
See the other 14 nutrients
- Zinc0,84 mg8 %
- Calcium64,9 mg8 %
- Total omega-30,2 g8 %
- Phosphorus42 mg6 %
- Potassium110 mg6 %
- Vitamin B60,08 mg5 %
- Vitamin B20,05 mg4 %
- Magnesium13,7 mg4 %
- Vitamin B30,47 mg3 %
- Iron0,35 mg3 %
- Manganese0,02 mg1 %
- Vitamin A1 µg0 %
- Omega-3 ALA0 g0 %
- Omega-6 LA0 g0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Salt is the only real point of attention. 5.8 g per 100 g is more than the entire daily guideline in a 150 g portion. Soaking for longer, changing the water every six hours and finishing in milk, brings this figure down noticeably. Avoid it if you have high blood pressure or are on a low-sodium diet.
An excellent protein profile. 26 g of protein for 1.01 g of fat: this is one of the best ratios in the fish family, comparable to the fresh cod it comes from.
Watch the recipe, not the fish. Salt cod is lean; it is the brandade that is not, because of the oil and the potato. The fish is never the problem in these dishes.