Venetian Style Creamed Salt Cod, a simple and tasty way to enjoy a typical specialty from Veneto that has been prepared for generations. But let’s start by talking about cod, a species widespread in all the seas of the world. The cod family includes a really high number of species. This fish is sold fresh, frozen, dried like stockfish, or salted like salt cod. In Portugal, Spain, and Norway, cod is air-dried on wooden racks. From the Lofoten Islands, during a shipwreck, the Venetian Querini Pietro found the dried cod interesting and brought it to Venice. Because of its long preservation, it proved convenient to use over time.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, New Year
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz desalted salt cod
- 0.4 cups milk
- 0.4 cups water
- 0.7 cups sunflower seed oil
- 0.2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- Half lemon
- 1 pinch pepper
- 0.14 oz salt
- 1 tsp parsley (for garnish)
Tools
- Stand Mixer
- Saucepan
Steps
In the saucepan, I mixed the milk with water, halved lemon with bay leaves, and boiled it for 20 minutes.
When ready, I removed the skin and any bones, and in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, I added a grated clove of garlic and the oil in a thin stream, whipping the salt cod for 10 minutes until it became creamy.
I added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper.
With half a pack of instant polenta, 6.35 oz of cornmeal, and 3 cups of water, I prepared polenta for 4 people. I boiled the salted water and gradually added the polenta, which cooked in 8 minutes.
I poured it into a baking dish to let it cool.
Using a 2.36-inch round cutter, I cut polenta disks.
I continued like this for all the polenta.
In the hot pan, I toasted the polenta on both sides.
I prepared quenelles with the creamed salt cod and placed them on top of the toasted polenta disks.
Fantastic my appetizer with Venetian-style creamed salt cod.
Tips
Today I would like to suggest a nice dish of cod fritters, an alternative to fried cod fillets that we usually prepare for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/frittelle-di-baccala/
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/frittelle-di-baccala/
Can bread croutons be substituted for polenta disks for creamed salt cod?
Yes, of course, even bread croutons work perfectly.
