This Traditional Southern Italian recipe is often served at The Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. That is what I have started to do with my family, so there is just a small dish made, enough for a taste.
Course
Main
Cuisine
Canadian Italian
Prep Time45minutes
Cook Time30minutes
Total Time1hour15minutes
Servings8-10
AuthorValerie Lugonja
Ingredients
1kilo of Saltcod
4-6clovesof garlic, minced
one bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only (and tender stems) chopped
Olive oil
500gcanned DOP Tomatoes
1/2cupto 1 cup Gaeta or Nicoise olives
1/4cupcapers
1/2teaspoonfreshly ground pepper, or more to taste
Salt, as needed, to taste (olives, baccala and capers are all salty)
Instructions
Two Days in Advance:
Soak salt cod for up to 48 hours in several daily changes of cold water
Instructions for the Cod:
Drain cod, pat dry, and cut into serving pieces; small if not the only main dish
Flour and season pieces of cod; fry in large skillet over medium high heat in olive oil
Drain paper towel
Instructions for the Sauce:
Pre-heat oven to 350F
In the same large skillet used for frying the cod, very lightly saute a soffritto of the minced garlic and chopped parsley in olive oil until it just begins to give off its fragrance
Immediately add tomatoes and simmer gently for 5 minutes
When tomatoes start to melt into a sauce, toss in capers and olives
Transfer sauce to oven proof serving dish; gently add fried baccala to the pan and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes, uncovered, to reduce sauce
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with more chopped parsley for color and serve