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Food /
Italian Recipes
Dec 20
reading time 3 min

In Cucina: Baccalà Mantecato (Whipped Salt Cod)

by Tessa Kiros

Baccalà is dried, salted cod, and this recipe hails from Veneto, where it is most often served as cicchetti on top of fried polenta or sliced bread and paired with a glass of white wine.

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It is flavorful, simple, and light, somehow incredibly spreadable although it’s not technically a paste; legend says only a wooden spoon, used during preparation, can create the right consistency. 

Before you use the baccalà, you have to soak it to remove the salt. Rinse the salted cod filet first, then put it into a bowl and add enough cold water to cover the filet completely. Change the water two or three times a day and repeat this for two to three days, always keeping the bowl in the fridge. You can see if it’s ready by breaking off a small fleck to taste. Your fishmonger should also be able to tell you beforehand how long it will need to soak. Another option is to buy ready-soaked cod, a more reliable and convenient option. This recipe is for the traditionally plain version.

Flavor enhancers like bay leaves, fresh thyme, and lemon are optional, depending on your preferred level of salty, fishy intensity. To make baccalà cappuccina, mash two chopped, pulpy garlic cloves into the cod and olive oil, and stir in two tablespoons of chopped parsley at the end.

 

BACCALÀ MANTECATO

INGREDIENTS       

  • 500/600 g (1 lb 4 oz) baccalà (salt cod), soaked
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled & squashed to pulp
  • 125 ml olive oil (4 fl oz / 1/2 cup) 
  • Some small bread slices
  • Butter, for frying
  • Lemon, optional
  • Bay leaves, optional
  • Black pepper
  • Salt

 

PREPARATION 

  1. Put the garlic clove into the olive oil to flavor it for a while.
  2. Drain the baccalà, put it into a large saucepan, and cover with water. If using, add the lemon and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer, skimming for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a while (with the lid on). Drain. 
  3. While still warm, remove the skin and bones, and break the filet into flakes in a bowl.
  4. Remove the garlic clove from the oil, then gradually drizzle the oil into the bowl of baccalà, mashing well and stirring with a wooden spoon until all the oil is absorbed. Then, use either a hand-blender or a food processor to pulse the mixture, creating dual textures so some is smashed from the wooden spoon and some is creamy from the machine. 
  5. Add some cracked black pepper. 
  6. Sautè some bread slices in butter with a dash of salt and pepper. 
  7. Top with a good spoonful of baccalà, pepper, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
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