Gosh, what a heated argument you can get into when you start discussing how to make the best, most creamy, light, tasty, not too salty, not too garlicky baccalà mantecato. Our friend Arianna shared the recipe below and it’s light and creamy. Small amounts are spread onto crostini or squares of black and white polenta and served in every bacaro on the streets of Venice. Both baccalà and stockfish are air-dried cod, but baccalà is salted first. How baccalà came to Venice is pretty special so I have to share the story with you.
In 1431, Captain Querini and his sailors were on a voyage to bring spices back from Crete to the North Sea. On 25 April they were shipwrecked in a terrible storm and drifted at sea until they reached the Lofoten islands. The locals made them welcome and introduced them to their food and customs. The men were fishermen and fished for cod during their days. Story has it that they didn’t just share their food with the ship’s crew but were also happy to share their wives during their long days at sea. Months later only some of the sailors and Captain Querini returned home while the others decided to stay! Stockfish was brought back to Venice and trade began between Norway and Venice that continues to this day. To bring the fish back to life, almost, soak it in the fridge for two days changing the water at least six times during that period. Taste a little to see if it is still very salty and if it is keep soaking. When the fish is soft and flexible and pleasantly rather than overpoweringly salty it’s ready for cooking. (If you are using stockfish all you need to look for is that it is soft rather than salty.)