Baccala Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the dried salted cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water several times.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soaked cod, and boil for about 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove cod from water, and save water for cooking potatoes. Remove skin and bones from the cod, and flake the meat into pieces using a fork. Set fish aside in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Pour over the fish, and toss lightly to coat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the potatoes into the fish water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain under cool water, peel and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until golden and caramelized. Stir one clove of garlic into the onions. Set aside.
• Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of a greased 8x11 inch baking dish. Cover with half of the cod, then half of the onions. Repeat layers, ending with onion.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Before serving, garnish the top with green and black olives, and hard-cooked eggs. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide garlic and tomato sauce evenly between 4 small earthenware dishes. Place 5 pieces cod in each dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon capers, 1 teaspoon olio santo, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and a pinch of salt over cod in each dish. Bake until cod is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with baguette slices.

Steps:

• Place cod in a large bowl of cold water. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 days, changing water each day.
• Drain cod and cut into 3-inch pieces. Transfer to a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until fish is easily flaked with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and transfer cod to a bowl filled with cold water until cooled, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, olives, garlic, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
• Drain cod and flake with a fork. Add to bowl with olive oil mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large pot, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives, bay leaves, and basil and allow to simmer for roughly 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, baccala and potatoes; allow to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Soak cod for 2 to 3 days, refrigerated, changing water regularly. In large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil, add cod and cook until fish breaks off easily. Strain and cool. After it cools, remove skin and bones, if there are any, and break into bite size pieces. In medium saute pan heat oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
• In a bowl, add cod, pour oil and garlic over, add lemon juice, peppers, olives, capers, parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Place in serving platter and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• When the baccalà is sufficiently soaked, cut it into small pieces-6 inches or so-and put them in a saucepan or deep skillet with at least an inch of water to cover. Bring to a boil, set the cover ajar (rest it on a wooden spoon set on the rim of the pan), and cook at a steady bubbling boil for 20 minutes or more, until the cod is easy to flake but still has body and shape. Don't let it start to break apart. Lift it out of the cooking water, and let it drain and cool in a colander. Reserve a cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, rinse the potato but leave it whole and unpeeled. Put it in a small pot covered with cold water. Bring to the boil, and cook steadily until you can easily pierce the potato with a knife blade.
• Let it cool, and peel it.
• Set up the electric mixer and flake all the fish into the bowl. Beat with the paddle at low speed to break the fish up more; drop in the minced garlic, and beat at medium speed while you pour in half the olive oil very gradually in a thin stream, then add the potato and incorporate it; continue beating at low speed as you gradually add the rest of the oil.
• Now raise the speed to high and whip the fish to lighten it.
• Reduce the speed to medium and incorporate the half-and- half gradually, then whip at high speed again. At this point the whipped cod should be smooth and fluffy, almost like mashed potatoes but with texture. If it is very dense, you can thin it with the cooking water (but be careful: too much water will make it too salty).
• Finally, season with pepper and beat it in to blend. If you use a food processor instead of a mixer, follow the same order of additions, and process as needed to form a light, smooth spread. Put the spread in containers and store sealed, in the refrigerator, for up to a week. You can also freeze baccalà mantecato; the texture will not be as creamy, but it will have good flavor and makes a delicious pasta sauce.

Steps:

• To prepare the baccalà, pound it heartily with a wooden mallet, then lay it to rest in very cold water for 48 hours. Change the bathwater several times each day. Drain and rinse. Poach the fish in barely simmering water for 3 minutes. Drain, remove the skin and bones, and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Dry the prepared baccalà on absorbent paper towels and roll the pieces about in a bit of flour, coating them well but not too thick.
• In a large, shallow terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron pan over a lively flame, warm the olive oil and scent it with 2 of the crushed cloves of garlic, tossing them about until they take on some color. With a slotted spoon, remove the 2 cloves of garlic and discard them. Brown the flour-dusted baccalà, putting only those pieces into the pan that will fit without touching, permitting them to color and crust on one side before gently turning them, crusting the other side. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper as you proceed. As the baccalà is sautéed, remove it to absorbent paper towels. When all of the baccalà is golden, soften the remaining 2 cloves of garlic in the remaining oil, taking care not to let them take on color.
• Rinse the pan with the wine, stirring, scraping at the residue, and permitting the wine to reduce for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and the plumped raisins with their Cognac juices, bringing the mixture to a simmer and reducing the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Carefully position the fish in the sauce, spooning the juices over them. Cover the pot and, over a gentle flame, bring the liquids just to a simmer, braising the fish gently for 5 minutes.
• Now the dish can be presented, or it can wait, without harm, covered for several hours. Never reheat the dish, but offer it at room temperature. Just before serving, strew the baccalà with the toasted pine nuts.

Steps:

• Cut soaked, skinless and boneless Cod into into bite size pieces so they can cook all together quickly in the pan.
• Heat oil in pan,use 1/2 cup or try for 1/2inch at least in pan (depending of size of pan being used).
• While cod is moist but not dripping wet, dredge well in flour.
• Shake off excess and don't worry if patches of flour look to thick.
• With hot oil, fry cold without crowding the pan and turn pieces when lightly golden.
• Drain well on rack or paper towels.
• Serve almost immediately or at room temperature.
• Fry parsley by putting into hot oil for a few seconds or till it becomes crisp.
• Place fish on serving platter with parsley and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Soak baccala in a deep pan/bowl filled with water for 2 days;changing water once a day.
• Cut fish up into 4 inch squares;set aside.
• In pot on a medium low flame; put oil,onion and garlic; brown gently.
• Add celery,bay leaf,thyme and parsley; continue browning for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes; cook 10 minutes.
• Add fish; cover and lower flame.
• Cook slowly; 40 minutes or until potatoes and fish are done.
• Stir in pepper at end of cook time.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a large flat ovenproof dish. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil.
• Arrange the pieces of salt cod on top and add the herb bouquet, tomato puree, tomatoes, and white wine. Season with pepper, sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
• Bake for one hour and serve in the same dish, garnished with capers and lemon slices.