How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Chef Dennis Littley

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How to make ItalianBaccala.

Guest Post: My name is Mireille and I live in New York, where I have been lucky to be able to experiment with the cultural foods of many countries.

My family background is as diverse as my city, with relatives spanning the globe from Haiti to Indonesia. I currently work freelance as a food writer and personal chef and use my blog to present authentic and fusion recipes from around the world. Lots of Indian, Caribbean and so many other cuisines are represented at Chef Mireille’s Global Creations (this blog no longer exists).

How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (1)

NY has one of the largest Italian communities, outside of Italy. Just about every other person you meet is at least ½ Italian. Most Italians are Catholic.

As a result, Christmas is one of the most important holidays to them and one of their traditions involves eating 7 different seafood dishes on Christmas Eve. Many of the dishes will differ from family to family, however, one dish is always included – Baccala.

How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (2)

Also known as Bacalao in other countries like Spain and Portugal, salted cod is popular in many countries. Usually originating as peasant food, it becomes part of the national culinary landscape in these countries.

Why not make this classic a tradition in your home this year? Italian Baccala can bring a taste of Italy to your dinner table.

How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (3)

If you are a seafood fanatic like I am, you may want to try this delicious tradition for your next Christmas meal. Who says you have to be Italian? Here are some ideas to complete the Feast of the Seven Fishes:

  • Clams Casino
  • Quick and Easy Steamed Mussels
  • Clams and Spaghetti
  • New Zealand Mussels served 5 ways

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Italian Baccala

Italian Baccala is a classic and in this guest post you’ll learn her family secrets to prepare this dish in your own home for the holidays.

Prep Time1 day d

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • 12 oz . dried salted cod boned
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 ⅓ cup tomatoes chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • juice of ½ lemon

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Soak fish in water for 24 hours. Drain and put fresh water to cover. You can repeat this process if the cod is still too salty.

  • Boil until fish is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Once it is cool enough to handle, flake by hand.

  • In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and wine and cook on medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until alcohol has been cooked out.

  • Add fish and parsley. Toss and cook for 1-2 minutes.

  • Add pepper and lemon juice and toss to combine.

  • Serve, garnished with more parsley, with crusty Italian bread or roasted potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 5987mg | Potassium: 1419mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (5)

About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home.For more details, check out his About page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Maria Gravinese

    Nick, When you soak the baccala in the water, you need to change the water ever day I soak and change the water for 4 days, and it’s salt free. Hope this will help.

    Reply

  2. Mary

    What do you mean by “flake the fish.” I have not heard of that term “flake” in regard to fish.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      When the fish cooks you will see that the fish will start to “split” into flakes or layers. Instead of just cutting or using your hands to pull the fish apart, use a fork and and try to split the sections, flaking the fish.

      Reply

  3. Tammy

    Can you make this recipe with roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes and still taste great? I am not a big fan of cooked tomatoes unless it is in homemade spaghetti sauce. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      absolutely, I think the peppers will add more flavor.

      Reply

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How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make Italian Baccala - Authentic Italian Recipe? ›

Depending on how salty and intense of a flavor you desire, soak the fish for 2 to 3 days (24 to 48 hours). You can soak it as a whole filet or in large chunks, just be sure it is fully submerged with enough water to cover the fish. Note that the longer it soaks, the milder the flavor becomes.

How many days should you soak baccalà? ›

Depending on how salty and intense of a flavor you desire, soak the fish for 2 to 3 days (24 to 48 hours). You can soak it as a whole filet or in large chunks, just be sure it is fully submerged with enough water to cover the fish. Note that the longer it soaks, the milder the flavor becomes.

What does baccalà mean in Italian slang? ›

fool , idiot. fare la figura del baccalà to look like an idiot. Synonym. babbeo. stupido.

What is baccalà made of? ›

Baccala is Italian for “salted cod,” which is a type of dried and cured fish used widely in Italian cuisine. This fish is often the key ingredient in soups, stews, and pasta. It comes dehydrated, so it's typically rehydrated before being cooked in a flavorful sauce.

Do you have to soak cod fish before cooking? ›

Rinse the salt cod thoroughly under cool running water. Place salt cod in a large container of cold water and soak it up to 24 hours prior to preparing the dish, changing the water several times during soaking. Rinse the cod again and measure the fillet at the thickest point.

Do you soak saltfish in hot or cold water? ›

Soak fish in cold water for several hours (or overnight).

Can you soak salt cod too long? ›

Soaking is the most important step in preparing salt cod. Most recipes say to soak for 24 hours. However, this is risky and may leave the fish too salty. About 48 hours is a better bet.

Why do Italian waiters say Prego? ›

Prego is the direct response to grazie and means, “You're welcome.” It is derived from the verb of politeness pregare, which has several meanings. Pregare can be translated as “to pray,” which lends itself to the connotation of asking or requesting something.

What is the Italian word for rude? ›

maleducato, villano. a rude remark un'affermazione maleducata. He was very rude to me. È stato molto scortese con me.

What is the difference between cod and baccalà? ›

In the Caribbean, salt fish, also called bacalao, bacalhau, baccalà or dried fish, is fresh, meaty white fish (typically cod) that has been preserved for longer storage by salt-curing and drying until all the moisture has been extracted.

What is a good substitute for baccalà? ›

*Tips: You can use the same exact method and substitute the baccala with fresh cod loins. This will reduce the amount of work substantially (nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and remembering to change the water!) and also will cook in less time.

How to eat baccalà? ›

You can serve this versatile and flavorful fish in a wide variety of ways, from baccalà salad and stewed baccalà with polenta, to fried baccalà, to baccalà mantecato—a whipped form of the salt cod served with bread as an appetizer.

Who invented baccalà? ›

Baccalà mantecato was created during the 18th century in Venice. However, the use of salt cod to Venetian cuisine was first introduced in the 15th century by Pietro Querini was shipwrecked on the Norwegian island of Røst. Querini and his crew learned how to salt cod from local fisherman.

Do you rinse milk off fish before cooking? ›

Online research had recommended letting the fish soak submerged in milk for around 20 minutes, before rinsing and cooking in your preferred fashion. I smelled the fish before and after to see if there was a noticeable change—and to my actual surprise, there was.

What happens if you don't rinse fish before cooking? ›

Remove the scales from fish if a recipe calls for it, but leave your fish unrinsed to prevent your kitchen from becoming a breeding ground for germs.

How long do you need to soak bacalao? ›

Soak the Bacalao in the refrigerator for 8 hours with 2 to 3 changes of fresh cold water. After soaking the Bacalao for 2 hours in the refrigerator, drain the water from the bowl. Cover the bowl again completely with fresh cold water and repeat this process after 3 more hours of soaking in the refrigerator.

How long to soak salted pollock? ›

Before cooking your favorite salted fish recipe, you must desalt the fillets by soaking them in water for 6-8 hours, changing water at least three times during that period. For lower salt content, change water more often.

How long does it take to desalt bacalao? ›

Remove tail fin of the Authentic Salt Cod. Cut Authentic Salt Cod crosswise into 3-inch portions. Rinse both the Authentic Salt Cod or Salted Pollock Fillets under cold running water. Place in bowl and soak in cold water for 8 hour in the refrigerator with two to three changes of fresh water for the Authentic Salt Cod.

How do you soak bacalhau? ›

How to soak
  1. Rinse superfluous salt off from the fish by running cold tap water over the fish.
  2. Place the fish in a container that goes into the refrigerator. The fish skin should be facing up.
  3. Change the water every 24 hours, always with cold water.

How long will bacalao last in the fridge? ›

Storing Bacalao

Once you soak it, you need to cook and consume it immediately, keeping your leftovers for up to two days in the refrigerator.

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