Not that it is a wonder of nature.

Or yes, because swimming 1,000 kilometers against the

current

to return home can have epic overtones.

And the daring

protagonist

of this annual journey is none other than the

skrei

, that fresh and wild Norwegian cod, whose name means

nomad

.

These fish spend most of their lives in the cold Barents Sea until they reach maturity, a process in which they take between five and seven years.

When they are ready to reproduce, they

start - it is usually in mid-November

- a difficult journey of two or three months that will take them to the Lofoten Islands (in northern Norway, with warmer waters) to spawn in the same place where they were born.

And it is precisely in the spawning season, between

January and April

, when they are captured - in a controlled manner, with a strict quota system, and sustainable - for the enjoyment and enjoyment of

human

piscivores

.

Monochromatic Skrei, from the Coque restaurant.

With 'muscle'

Precisely, the harshness of this trip - in which they feed on

shellfish and herring

- and the unique characteristics that growing in the Barents habitat provides them, make them unique specimens, almost "elite athletes" - recognized Roy Magne Berglund , Norwegian chef and ambassador of this gastronomic delicatessen.

Thus, we find a specimen of strong musculature (it is what swimming against the current has), with lean,

white and firm

meat

and shiny skin

.

With an intense and juicy flavor, it has almost no fat, since it is stored in the liver and not in the muscles.

Grilled skrei loin with scallops and Bilbao, in Saraiba.

Rich in omega 3 and protein, it is now in full season, also in Spain, where it arrives whole, headless, and fresh

three or four days after being caught

.

In recent times, skrei has become a popular product in these parts: a year we consume

3,000 tons

and, last season alone, its intake increased in our country by 35%, according to data from the Seafood Council of Norway.

Skrei Seal

But not all cod get the skrei stamp.

To do this, the specimen must meet a series of

requirements

.

There they go: that it has been fished between January 1 and April 30 in the

natural spawning areas

established, that it weighs more than three kilos, that it has been cleaned and

gutted on the day of its capture

, that between the fishing and the packaging has not passed more than 12 hours, has been

refrigerated between 0 and -2 degrees

throughout the value chain and has been labeled with a

maximum shelf life of 12 days

from packaging.

Skrei, cauliflower, pickled razor clams with ratatouille gel and leek ash, in Urrechu Velázquez.

And gastronomically, how is this white fish that is caught in Norway?

Chefs like

Mario Sandoval

(Coque restaurant)

speak of its unique qualities

, for whom it is a special product for its "fresh, intense and original flavor, and above all for its texture and versatility in the kitchen."

The Madrilenian signs dishes such as

Monochromatic Skrei

, which he serves this season in his two Michelin stars.

Similar arguments wields Daniel Ferreiro, owner of Saraiba: "It has a more intense flavor and a juicier meat."

In this Galician restaurant near Retiro they offer it on the grill with

romescu sauce and crunchy arugula

and they also prepare their loin on the grill with

scallops and Bilbao

.

Skrei, white pilpil and melanosporum truffle, in La Lonja del Mar.

At Sal Negra, a traditional market restaurant, they faithfully follow the season and opt for

confit

skrei

with its pilpil

and piquillo pepper.

While the Medina brothers, owners of the Basque Dantxari, with four decades of history in the capital, cook it with

morel sauce

.

We are still in Madrid.

At La Lonja del Mar they use another winter delicatessen, the

black truffle

, to make the

Skrei

dish

, white pilpil and melanosporum truffle parmentier

.

"It is a super versatile cod with the perfect amount of fat to make both modern and traditional preparations, such as pilpil", adds Fernando Negri, chef de cuisine of this restaurant located opposite the Royal Palace.

With morels, in Dantxari.

And we closed in the capital with

Urrechu.

In Urrechu Velázquez they offer skrei, cauliflower, lightly pickled razor clams with ratatouille gel and leek ash and in Urrechu de Pozuelo de Alarcón they make it in tempura with noodles, crab brandade, pickled mussel sphere and celery air.

But the skrei not only

reaches

Madrid, restaurants such as Zaragoza's Novodabo also bet on it and it is one of the stars -prepared grilled with its pilpil- on their menu.

Dishes like these show its versatility, but there is still more, and it is that you can take advantage of almost everything: the head, the double chin, the guts, the liver and the tongue, true delicatessen in Nordic homes.

Interestingly, according to tradition, only

children

can cut out tongues and sell them, which marks their initiation into fishing.

Confit with its pilpil and piquillo pepper, in Black Salt.

Although there is not so much custom here, if you want to

start

with skrei

at home

, try practicing with the recipe proposed by Mario Sandoval - "

marinated with chives

, black olives and capers

vinaigrette

, a dish that combines the freshness of Norwegian cod with flavors more powerful ", says the chef - or one of those found on the Norwegian Seafood website: on a bed of asparagus, with

polenta and ratatouille

, with risotto ... even in tacos, stews or hamburgers.

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