This is cod that has been dehydrated and preserved in salt. What you'll buy at the fishmongers or supermarkets looks like a dried out leather shoe, definitely not very appetizing. But hang with me, there's magic in that shoe leather: Baccala needs to be rehydrated, so you'll have to buy it several days in advance of when you want to cook it. When you get it home, put it in a bowl of water and keep it in the fridge for at least 48 hours. Change the water two to three times a day.
I promised magic: Well, after all this soaking and draining you now have a beautiful snowy white piece of a very tasty fish. It works well battered and fried, in a sauce like Baccala Alla Pizzaiola, roasted in the oven with potatoes, or even in a simple salad like Insalata Di Baccala. |
