Italy: Baccala in salsa

Cynthia Daniele                                                         

Baccala in salsa – Italy

Baccala also known as salt cod fish, can be eaten whenever you want to throughout the year. Though as an Italian, there is one specific holiday where we always eat it, this holiday is Christmas. We all gather to have lunch or supper whichever one it is on this holiday. We usually all end up at my grandmothers and therefore she is the one who cooks it every year. Eating this fish has become a tradition! This is the one plate that we are always sure of  that will be served no matter what time it ends up being. My grandmother has been cooking this dish ever since her mom passed away; my great grandmother, and it was the same for her. She began to cook it when her mom passed away. All in all this tradition has been part of my family for many generations. It started in Italy and continued here when they settled down in Montréal. It will most likely continue because I’m someone who like’s to keep traditions going.  It’s something that I grew up with so I wouldn’t want to stop it for no reason. So even if my mom wouldn’t plan on cooking it, she knows I’ll end up doing it myself. Baccala can be eaten in many different ways; boiled, fried, backed, in sauce, as a salad, with rice or even as a stew. My favourite one is this specific recipe. There are many ways of baking cod fish because it is easily found in stores and at a low cost too.  Baccala doesn’t have that smell of fish or taste that most people hate. But it still is very tasty and therefore a great plate to be served at Christmas time.

THE RECIPE

·         Ingredients

• 4 fillets of baccala (salt cod) about 1 kilo
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 3 ½ cups of crushed tomatoes
• ½  cup of tomato paste
• 2/3 pieces of garlic
• 2/3 leaves of parsley or basil which ever you prefer
• ½ spoon of nuts
• Oregano

·         Procedure

Fish

1. Wash 1 kilo of baccala and place it in a container with cold water.
2. Leave the fish in this container for about 2 to 3 days, cleansing the water 2-3 times a day.
3. This will help to get rid most of the salt that the baccala contains. Once rinsed again it must be drained so that it is not wet when being cooked.
4.  There is no need to take out bones or any of that because we are dealing with fillets.
5. If the weather is hot the fish should be kept in the fridge.

Sauce

1. In a pan fry the onion with the oil, making sure it doesn’t get burnt
2.  Add in the tomato and pasta sauce
3.  Cut up the parsley and the garlic in small thin pieces and add them in along with the nuts
4. Dash in the amount of oregano and black pepper as you wish
5.  Let cook for about 20 minutes on low, adding a bit of water every now and then so that the sauce doesn’t get too thick.
6. Then add in the fish and let cook for another half hour.

Source

http://www.heatandknives.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/neapolitansaltcod1.jpg

Ready to serve- Buon appetito!