How to Make Baccala' alla Vicentina

Baccala’ is cod conserved under salt and then naturally or artificially dried. It is one of the traditional dishes from the Vicenza area, in Italy, a northern town about an hour west of Venice. It is a very tasty dish that not many know about but very popular in northern Italy. Many eat it as a traditional Christmas dish. Baccala’ is an aliment rich of proteins with a high nutritional value, mineral salts (it contains Phosphorous, iron, iodine and calcium), yet with very few calories (only 95 cal for 100 grams already soaked).

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• 28 oz of baccala’ (dry salty cod)
• Flour as needed
• Salt & pepper to taste
• ½ cup of oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 4 anchovy
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2 cups of milk
• 3.5 tbsp of butter (1.7 oz)

1. Put in water the baccala’ for at least 24 hours changing the water every few hours to take the salt away totally.
2. Dry it and cut it in big pieces and place it, after coating in the flour, in a pan big enough to accommodate all the cod in one single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. In another pan sauté the onion and garlic in the oil.
4. Add the anchovies washed and broken with a wooden spoon, the chopped parsley and the white wine.
5. Let it cook for a few more minutes and then pour everything in the cod pan.
6. Cover and let it cook at medium low till the liquid will be dried.
7. Serve with just-made polenta.

Tips & Warnings

• This food is equally good hot or cold.