The LIVORNO-STYLE SALTED COD is a dish from the Italian culinary tradition, now become a true classic, which marries baccalà, i.e. cod preserved under salt, with the aromas and colors of the Mediterranean. It’s a very simple dish to prepare yet truly sumptuous, so much so that it can be the centerpiece of a good family lunch or a meal with friends, in all seasons of the year, including the Christmas period.
The dish only requires careful selection of ingredients and the patience to properly desalinate the baccalà: choose a filet (or an “ascella”, as the whole piece is sometimes called) fairly thick and white in color without spots, a good tomato passata (preferably homemade), and a dry, aromatic white wine — for example Tuscan wines — along with the herbs and aromas of our tradition. In a few steps you’ll have a sensational dish, flavorful and delicate at the same time, also nutritionally balanced thanks to the lean flesh of this fish (although I always ruin everything by indulging in an endless bread-dipping in the delicious sauce…).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 lb 3 oz salted cod (baccalà)
- 3 cups tomato passata
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- Half glass dry white wine
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste flour
Steps
The preparation of LIVORNO-STYLE SALTED COD is simple and within everyone’s reach.
Put the salted cod in soaking for 48 hours, changing the water 3 times a day.
Once ready, drain it, pat it dry, remove the bones and skin, and cut it into pieces not too large. Dredge the pieces in flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.
In a wide pan, preferably non-stick, add a drizzle of oil and brown the pieces of cod on all sides over high heat until golden.
Deglaze with the wine and, once it has evaporated, season lightly with salt and pepper and add the tomato passata. Cover with a lid and let simmer gently for about 2 hours. If it becomes too dry, add some water.
When cooking is almost complete, peel the garlic, remove the green shoot if present and finely chop it together with the parsley. Add it to the cod and let it absorb the flavors. Let the livorno-style salted cod rest off the heat for a few minutes and serve with good bread for dipping into the sauce.
TIPS
If you have leftover livorno-style salted cod you can flake it and use it as a pasta sauce.
You can also serve it with potatoes: cut them into cubes and add them to the sauce 30 minutes before the end of cooking.
You can also serve it with potatoes: cut them into cubes and add them to the sauce 30 minutes before the end of cooking.
