Casserole Of Salt Cod And Potatoes

1 lb Dried salt cod

6 c Boiling water

1 tb Unsalted butter

3 tb Olive oil

1 lg Spanish onion

- peeled and sliced thin 2 lb Calif. long white potatoes

-or new potatoes, -boiled until tender, then -peeled and sliced thin 1/3 c Minced parsley

1/4 c Freshly ground black pepper

--GARNISH

-- 1 lg Egg, hard-cooked, shelled

-and cut in thin wedges 12 md Oil-cured black olives

- (unpitted) SOAK THE COD in the refrigerator 24 hours in several changes of cold water. Drain, rinse, and drain well again. Place the cod in a large heavy saucepan, pour in the boiling water, set over moderate heat, cover and simmer 10-to-12 minutes--just until the cod flakes at the touch of a fork. Drain and rinse well, then flake the cod, removing any bits of skin or bone. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large heavy skillet set over moderate heat, warm the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil 1 minute. Add the onion, separating the slices into rings, and stir-fry 8-to-10 minutes until limp and golden; do not brown. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, dump in the potatoes and stir-fry about 5 minutes until golden. Layer half the potatoes in a well-buttered 2-quart casserole or au gratin pan and sprinkle with a little of the minced

parsley and pepper. Add 1/3 of the onion, 1/2 of the cod and another scattering of the parsley and pepper. Repeat the layering, ending with onion rings on top. Sprinkle with the remaining pepper and all but 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 35-to-40 minutes or until touched with brown. Garnish with wedges of hard-cooked egg and the olives, placed artfully on top of the casserole, plus a final light scattering of minced parsley.