I have always been a big fan of baccalà – aka salted cod. It is quite a common ingredient in Italian cooking and, strangely enough, it is loved and cooked all over the country, from the Northern regions to the Southern end, islands included. I have already shared the recipes of my grandmother’s Baccalà Fritters and Baccalà alla Vicentina (and the Portuguese Pasteis de Bacalhau), and today I am very happy to show you yet another delicious (and very easy) way to serve salted cod: Baccalà alla Fiorentina, a traditional recipe from Florence, in Tuscany. I have recently been awarded the Tuscanycious badge by the official food and travel website of the Tuscany Region and what better way to celebrate such a big honour than by sharing a Tuscan recipe? As you know, I have been sharing regional Italian recipes for a while (you can see them all here) and I always try to stay true to the traditional ingredients and methods, as I do believe that the reason why Italian food is so successful is because of its link to the territory and the local produce and traditions. Tuscanycious gives their badge to websites that share “information, stories and recipes about authentic Tuscan food and wine”, so I am really honoured to be a part of this project! You can see all the sites that have been awarded with the Tuscanycious badge (which is now on my sidebar) by clicking here. So, here goes the recipe for Baccalà alla Fiorentina! Buon appetito!
Baccalà alla Fiorentina
Baccalà alla Fiorentina - the traditional Tuscan recipe for salted cod Florence style!
Ingredients
- 500 gms – 1.1 lbs. baccalà salted cod
- 200 ml – a little less than 1 cup tomato purée
- 2 garlic cloves halved
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Flour
- Salt to taste
Instructions
-
The day before, wash the baccalà fillets. Put them in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Soak for 24 hours, changing the water as often as possible so that the fish rehydrates and it loses the excess salt.
-
When the baccalà is ready to be cooked, take it out of the water and pat it dry with some kitchen paper.
-
-
Sauté the garlic in the extra virgin olive oil for a minute. Make sure not to brown it or it will taste bitter.
-
Add the baccalà pieces and fry them well on all sides until golden.
-
-
When ready, season with salt (only if required) and remove from the fire.
-
Sprinkle the fish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
I like to serve baccalà with potatoes, either boiled, steamed or pan fried with some onion.
I love salted cod in any cuisine! Great recipe!
I love this recipe. When I was expecting my son, I was so sick and worked with this older couple from Jamaica. They eat a lot of salted cod and I had never tried it. She decided she could cure my sickness and that included the salted cod along with plantains and vodka on my forehead. .I know I know, you are probably laughing like crazy but it worked somehow. I had lost so much weight during my pregnancy that I had to eat six meals, with snacks in between and I was on a high calorie and high carb diet. I still lost weight but I was not sick and I ate things that I still don’t know what it was to this day except for the cod. This recipe reminded me of those days which were 38 years ago now. I will definitely try this also. Thanks for sharing and bringing some wonderful memories back
My mom was just mentioning the other day how she couldn’t stand baccala growing up–now I want to make it more than ever! 😉 I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m not even sure where to get it? This recipe looks beautiful–I can’t wait to try it!
Congrats on the Tuscanycious award—can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. From one baccalà fan to another…