Baccala / Bakalaj – Salted cod

Bakalaj (also known as baccala in Italian) is a traditional dish from Istria in Croatia, near the border of Italy. It is traditionally served at Easter and Christmas in Istria, so makes a great Good Friday dish. You need to soak the cod for three days, changing the water daily. So if you are doing this as a special occasion dish, remember to start several days in advance. In Jen’s husband’s family, they serve it with anchovy pasta, and we have included a link to that recipe below. 

BACCALA / BAKALAJ

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 3–4 days
Serves: 10 (it is really rich so you don’t have a lot of it)

Ingredients

• 750g / 1½ lb of salted cod fillet (available in the deli in the fridge – not the dried version which is hanging in the deli)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and halved
• 100–200ml / ⅓ to ⅔ cup of olive oil
• 2–3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
• 5 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• extra salt if required
• baguette or served with a pasta dish as an accompaniment

Method

1. Three days before planning to serve the dish, rinse the cod in cold water to remove excess salt, then place in a bowl of fresh water in the refrigerator.
2. Change the water each day and place back in the refrigerator.
3. On the day you plan to eat it, remove the skin and bones from the cod, then place the fish in a saucepan with the potatoes. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
4. Drain well.
5. Using a mortar and pestle, mix into a paste in batches, adding a little olive oil and some garlic as you work with the mixture.
6. Transfer to a bowl, adjust the seasoning and add the chopped parsley.
7. Serve at room temperature on sliced baguette as a starter or as an accompaniment to the anchovy pasta and a green salad. The vinegar in a salad cuts through the richness of the fish.

TIP
This dish is quite rich, so only serve in small amounts.