Warm, creamy sauce and tender flakes of fish make Baccalà alla Vicentina a dish that feels slow-cooked and comforting, especially when paired with soft, spoonable polenta.
This week’s Regional Italian recipe takes us to Veneto in North-Eastern Italy. Veneto is among the wealthiest and most developed regions of the country. It is also one of the most visited by tourists, with Venice as its capital.
It is a land known for many beautiful places, from the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites to Romeo and Juliet’s Verona and Palladio’s Vicenza. Today’s dish comes from Vicenza and is well known all over Italy.
It is called Baccalà alla Vicentina (stockfish Vicenza style). Even though the word baccalà in Italy usually refers to salted cod, the original recipe calls for stockfish. They come from the same fish, but while salted cod is preserved under salt, stockfish is dried.
I have made this recipe with both stockfish and baccalà, and either option works. The only difference is in the soaking time. Salted cod needs 24 hours in water, while stockfish requires 2 to 3 days, with frequent changes of water for both.
Stockfish was first introduced in Vicenza in 1432, when a ship from Venice wrecked in the Norwegian Lofoten Islands. Stockfish was widely used there, and the crew brought some of this dried fish back home. It soon found its place in local cooking.
This dish is traditionally served with soft polenta. Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out my other posts on Regional Italian recipes!
Why We Love Baccalà
- Leftovers keep well, so you get another easy meal out of it.
- Friends love trying something they haven’t tasted before, especially a regional classic.
- Every spoonful has a slow-cooked comfort you don’t get from quick meals.
Key Ingredients for Baccalà alla Vicentina
Stockfish or Salted Cod (Baccalà)
Stockfish has a slightly fuller taste, while salted cod is milder and easier to prepare, so choosing firm, evenly sized pieces helps them soften at the same pace during the long simmer.
Anchovies
Anchovies melt straight into the onion mixture and deepen the savoury base. They disappear into the sauce as they cook, leaving a quiet saltiness that rounds everything out.
Milk
Milk gives the sauce its creamy consistency and softens the fish throughout the long cooking. It ties the flavours together and helps create the velvety texture this dish is known for.
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
A small amount of grated cheese adds flavour and helps the sauce develop its texture. It gives the dish a fuller, rounder taste.
Find the complete list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Baccalà alla Vicentina
Step 1: Clean the fish by removing the skin and any bones. Cut it into pieces of similar size.
Note: If you are using stockfish, soak it in water for 2 to 3 days before cooking, changing the water frequently. If you are using salted cod, soak it for about 24 hours, also refreshing the water often to remove the excess salt.
Step 2: Dice the onion and place it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté until translucent, then add the anchovies and stir until they melt. Turn off the heat, add the parsley, mix well, and set aside.
Step 3: Lightly coat the fish pieces with flour.
Step 4: Spread half of the onion mixture over the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (a terracotta pot works best). Arrange the floured fish on top in a single layer.
Step 5: Spoon the remaining onion mixture over the fish.
Step 6: Add the milk, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and the remaining extra virgin olive oil, making sure the fish is fully covered in liquid.
Step 7: Cook over very low heat for up to 4 hours, without stirring, or until the fish becomes very soft.
Step 8: Serve warm with soft polenta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, both work well for this recipe. Salted cod needs about 24 hours of soaking, while stockfish needs 2 to 3 days. Remember to change the water often in both cases.
A heavy-bottomed pot works fine and will still give you a steady, gentle simmer. The key is keeping the heat low so the fish softens slowly.
Yes, the dish freezes well when stored in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then warm it gently so the texture stays soft.
Whole milk gives the sauce a richer, smoother finish that suits the long cooking. Low-fat milk works too, but the sauce turns out lighter and a bit thinner.
Extra Help from the Kitchen
Pat the Fish Dry Before Flouring – Dry fish holds a thin, even layer of flour, which helps the sauce develop a smoother texture.
Taste the Milk Before Adding Salt – Some pieces of salted cod hold more salt even after soaking, so season carefully once the milk and cheese are in the pot.
Let the Dish Rest Before Serving – Give the pot a few minutes off the heat to let the flavours settle and the sauce thicken naturally before scooping it out.
Choose a Pot with a Tight-Fitting Lid – Keep the lid snug while cooking so the steam stays inside and helps the fish soften evenly during the long simmer.
Avoid Lifting the Lid Too Often – Stable heat supports the slow transformation of the fish into its tender final texture.
Variations and Twists
Use Onion and Leek Together – Replacing part of the onion with leek creates a softer, slightly sweeter aroma that blends well with the milk and olive oil.
Replace Some Anchovies with Salted Sardines – Small salted sardines give a different salty profile while keeping the slow-cooked fish balanced.
Swap Some Milk with Light Cream – Using a little light cream in place of part of the milk creates a richer, silkier sauce without changing the method.
Stir in Finely Diced Celery – A small spoonful of finely diced celery in the soffritto adds a gentle lift to the base.
Finish with Fresh Olive Oil – A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving brightens the final taste and balances the richness.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store any leftover Baccalà alla Vicentina in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, keeping the fish fully covered in its cooking liquid to maintain moisture.
Freezing is possible, though the texture may soften further once thawed, so freeze only when the dish has cooled completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allowing the sauce to loosen gradually. Reheat on very low heat without boiling, giving the pot time to warm slowly so the fish stays intact.
Other Seafood Dishes You May Enjoy
Baccalà alla Vicentina Recipe
Warm, creamy sauce and tender flakes of fish make Baccalà alla Vicentina a dish that feels slow-cooked and comforting, especially when paired with soft, spoonable polenta.
Ingredients
- 500 g – 1 lb stockfish or salted cod (baccalà)
- 150 g – 5 oz onion – diced
- 180 ml – 6 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1 or 2 anchovies
- 250 ml – 1 cup milk
- flour – to coat
- 30 g – 4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano – finely grated
- 1 tbsp parsley – minced
- salt and pepper – to taste
Instructions
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Clean the fish by removing the skin and any bones. Cut it into pieces of similar size.
Note: If you are using stockfish, soak it in water for 2 to 3 days before cooking, changing the water frequently. If you are using salted cod, soak it for about 24 hours, also refreshing the water often to remove the excess salt.
-
Dice the onion and place it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté until translucent, then add the anchovies and stir until they melt. Turn off the heat, add the parsley, mix well, and set aside.
-
Lightly coat the fish pieces with flour.
-
Spread half of the onion mixture over the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (a terracotta pot works best). Arrange the floured fish on top in a single layer.
-
Spoon the remaining onion mixture over the fish.
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Add the milk, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and the remaining extra virgin olive oil, making sure the fish is fully covered in liquid.
-
Cook over very low heat for up to 4 hours, without stirring, or until the fish becomes very soft.
-
Serve warm with soft polenta.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe uses more extra virgin olive oil (250 ml – 1 cup), though I find 180 ml – 6 oz works well and keeps the dish balanced.
Thanks for this recipe! I made this tonight (in the crockpot!) and it was well-received by husband and suocera!
Manuela,
My all time favorite meal is polenta e baccala. This is the closest rendition of my mother’s recipe that I have seen.
What a wonderful surprise to stumble onto your site with this delight.
My parents are from the Veneto region and my mother has mastered this dish. Since her passing two years ago my family has missed out on this meal that we traditionally had every Christmas and Good Friday. Your directions and pictures appear to be using the salted baccala. Can you please send my the instructions to prepare this meal with the stockfish. I need to make this perfect in remembrance of my mother.
Regards
Luigi
Hi Luigi! I am so happy to have brought back good memories and I hope you can make this dish for your family! I use baccala as it is much faster, but if you have stock fish, that too is perfect for this recipe (it is actually how it was originally made!). The only difference is the method of rehydration. You have to “tenderise” it by beating it with a rolling pin (but don’t break it!). Then you need to put it in cold water for 3 to 5 days (depending on its size). Remember to change the water every 6 to 12 hours and to keep it in the fridge. By the time you are done with it, it should be 4 to 5 times its original size! You can remove the bones either before or after the rehydration process. Then you can proceed with the recipe the way it is. Hope it helps! Let me know how it comes out!
Good morning, I featured this recipe on my blog today for my weekly seafood round-up. I also FB, Tweet and Pin. Thank you for allowing me to share! Here is the link:http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/09/seafood-frenzy-friday-week-35.html
Hei!
Thank you for this interesting recipe! I am from north of Norway, and we normaly eat stockfish a lot. Dry directly from the rack, in bacalao (the tomato variant) or baked in the oven. I love fish, and will absolutely try this one. I guess my familiy will love it too.
Thanks again! 🙂
I love baccalà alla vicentina but then again I grew up in Venice and went to school in Cortina for years… your rendition looks mouthwatering.
Loving the regional series – this looks so delicious!
I love cod, and this dish sounds perfect for it. I’ll definitely be trying this!
Wishing you a wonderful time with your parents, Manu! Enjoy every minute of it! :-*
I’ve tasted a very similar dish in Italy and you’ve did a marvelous job with it. It looks very good 🙂
This looks so good! And that is interesting about the stockfish vs. cod. Great photos, they came out stunning.
I never knew that even Italians eat salted fish (just like Chinese in Hong Kong! This salted cod preparation is undubtedly very different and sounds so flavourful!! Manu, I am looking forward to all your regional Italian recipes now.
This is a new and different preparation of baccala to me — and one that totally intrigues. I have a sense that a touch of something sweet (like a few raisins) might be interesting in the onion mix to balance all the salt. What do you think?
This looks like comfort food – really delicious Manu. Hope you have a wonderful visit with your parents; of course there is nothing to forgive. Famiy first. Happy holidays.
I never had baccala’. Yours looks very good! I have to try cooking it at some point!
Oh my, that looks incredibly tasty! I love how creamy and flavorful this looks – I can just imagine the scent. Wonderful recipe, definitely on my must-try list!
that looks awesome. i am going to try.
Enjoy the time with your parents, Manu!!!!
I have never eaten baccala as it’s not so common around here…but as a seafood lover, I know I’d love your fabulous dish. Maybe another trip to Venice is in order…so I can sample an authentic version 🙂
Salt cod is something my friend has been after me to try, so your recipe is definitely timely. Your method of preparation does intrigue, well worth trying.
Enjoy your special time with the family!
Love your Regional Italian Series! Pictures are mouthwatering…Enjoy your time with your parents!
One of the tastiest ways to enjoy dried cod. I haven’t had the original stockfish version but as you say it’s perfectly delicious made with baccalà as well.
Lovely way to serve salt cod, Manu, and I enjoyed hearing about the origins.
Enjoy every moment of your parents’ visit!