L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES S alted cod, known as 'baccalà' in Italian, i s a f i s h t h a t h a s e n j o y e d e x t r e m e popularity in much o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n . Y o u would think such a staple food was available locally, but actual- ly cod has never been seen to swim those waters. This won- derful addition to Italian cuisine comes via a long history of trav- el, trade, and necessity. Dried cod had been used by Viking sailors since the early Middle Ages. Their process of air drying freshly caught cod in the cold and salty northern sea winds provided them with an easily transportable and highly nutritious food for long oceanic voyages. I t i s s a i d t h a t i n 1 4 3 1 , a Venetian merchant sailor named Captain Pietro Querini and a handful of survivors from his shipwrecked crew were rescued by Norwegian fishermen along the uninhabited rocky southern tip of Norway's Lofoten islands. The fishermen welcomed the Italian sailors into their homes, fed them their traditional cod dishes and taught them the art of preserving this abundant fish. Querini returned to his home- l a n d o f V e n i c e r e l a y i n g h i s experiences and thoughts about this amazing commodity, 'pesce stocco' or 'stoccofisso' - stock fish. However, we owe the con- version from stock fish to salted cod to the Basque (Spanish) sailors long before this. During their early contact with Viking sailors, they too realized the n u t r i t i o n a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l v a l u e o f c o d . A l t h o u g h t h i s dried fish was already a popular trading commodity in Northern Europe, it didn't become big business until large navies start- ed in on the pursuit.The discov- ery of cod-rich Grand Banks, off t h e c o a s t o f N e w f o u n d l a n d , combined with the depleting Mediterranean fish stocks, made way for large scale fishing and trading. Cod became the most caught fish in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean countries became the largest consumers of salted cod. Although the method of pre- serving with salt was not new to Italy, the mild white versatile flaky meat of cod was highly welcomed and an immediate love affair. Since the Mediter- ranean was abundant in tradable goods such as fruit, wine, nuts, oils, and sugar, its people were positioned as great trade part- ners. The port of Trapani in Sicily was essential in supplying the fleets of fishermen with the salt required to preserve their fish, so it became an ideal trad- ing point and salted fish a regu- larly found food in Italy. As it continued gaining pop- ularity, fleet after fleet headed to t h e n o r t h e r n w a t e r s w i t h o u t regard for the diminishing cod population. Over the centuries this caused some of the most popular cod varieties to enter a vulnerable state of existence and brought fishing villages to their k n e e s . F o r t u n a t e l y , i n m o r e recent times, laws and legisla- tion have been put into place to ensure the survival of this versa- tile fish. This is a typical southern Ital- ian baccalà recipe, simple to make and popular during the Christmas period that has just passed. Salted cod can be purchased either boneless or with the bone in. Look for clean, white flesh that has a strong fish odor. For ease of use and safety, we sug- gest choosing the boneless salted cod. Using any salted cod in a r e c i p e d o e s r e q u i r e s o m e advance preparation. First you need to rinse it with cold water for 10 minutes. Next, place it either as a whole filet or in large chunks into a large bowl and cover w ith fres h cold w ater. Depending on how intense a fla- vor and how salty you want it you will soak it for 12-48 hours. Change the water at least once a day but preferably 2-3 times. The smell diminishes as it soaks and the longer the soaking peri- od the milder the flavor. It is completely safe to pinch off a little piece to taste for saltiness during the soaking period if you so desire. Ingredients: ● 1 kg boneless salted cod ● 2 medium cooking onions (+/- 2 cups large chunks) ● ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil ● 1 litre canned tomato pieces ● 1 tsp chopped parsley ● 1 tsp salt ● ½ cup boiling water Instructions: 1. Prepare the salted cod by soaking 1-2 days in cold water, changing the water and rinsing at least once a day and prefer- ably 2-3 times a day. The longer y o u s o a k t h e s a l t e d c o d t h e milder the flavor will be when cooking. 2. Chop the onions into large chunks. 3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. 4. Fry the onions until they start to brown around the edges. 5. Add the tomato pieces, parsley, and salt and cook cov- ered for 15-18 minutes on medi- um heat until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the half cup of boiling water. 6. Cut the rehydrated fish into 1 i n c h t h i c k s l i c e s o r l a r g e chunks and add to the pan. 7. Keep the lid on and let cook for 15 minutes. After 10 minutes use a spoon to gently cover the fish with the stewed tomatoes. Remove the lid and cook for 5 more minutes. P e s c e s t o c c o v s b a c c a l à : pesce stocco is dried cod fish, baccalà is dried and salted cod fish. This dish is simple to make, and is typical on Italy's winter tables. Photo: Nonna's Way Baccalà is dried and salted cod, which became popular in Italy during the Renaissance. Photo: Nonna's Way ANNA ROMANO & ANGELA DESALVO Simple baccalà con pomodoro

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