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1
If using salt cod kokotxas, desalt them under cold running water and soak in several changes of cold water for 24–48 hours according to their thickness. Pat completely dry before cooking. If using fresh hake kokotxas, salt them lightly and allow to rest briefly before proceeding. The kokotxas must be dry on their surface — any surface moisture will interfere with emulsification.
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2
Set a wide earthenware cazuela over the lowest possible heat. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic, and guindilla. Warm slowly until the garlic is soft and barely golden and the oil is fragrant but has not begun to smoke. Remove the garlic and chilli and reserve. The oil must be warm and infused, not hot.
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3
Lower the desalted kokotxas into the warm oil, skin side up. Add the small splash of dry white wine. Maintain the temperature strictly between 60 and 70°C — well below a simmer. At no point should the oil bubble vigorously. This is where the dish lives or dies: too much heat turns the collagen rubbery and the emulsion will not form; the correct low temperature coaxes the gelatin from the kokotxas into the oil as a silky, trembling sauce.
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4
Begin the circular motion of the cazuela — gripping it by the handles and rotating it in slow, continuous circles — as the kokotxas release their gelatin into the oil. Maintain this patient motion for 20–30 minutes without interruption. Do not crowd the cazuela; the kokotxas must have space for the emulsion to build around each piece. The sauce is ready when it coats the kokotxas in an opaque, cream-coloured emulsion that moves as one body when the pan is tilted.
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5
Return the reserved garlic and guindilla to the cazuela. Do not add salt — the kokotxas retain sufficient salinity from the cure even after desalting. Serve immediately in the cazuela or on warmed plates. The finished dish should tremble visibly when the plate is moved; a sauce that has set rigid has been allowed to cool, and one that pools like water has broken.