INGREDIENTS

Baccalà is dried, salted cod, and this recipe hails from Veneto, where it is most often served as cicchetti on top of fried polenta or sliced bread and paired with a glass of white wine. It is flavorful, simple, and light!

500/600 g (1 lb 4 oz) baccalà (salt cod), soaked - 1 large garlic clove, peeled & squashed to pulp - 125 ml olive oil (4 fl oz / 1/2 cup) - Some small bread slices - Butter, for frying - Lemon, optional - Bay leaves, optional - Black pepper - Salt

PREPARATION

1. Put the garlic clove into the olive oil to flavor it for a while.
2. Drain the baccalà, put it into a large saucepan, and cover with water. If using, add the lemon and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer, skimming for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a while (with the lid on). Drain.
3. While still warm, remove the skin and bones, and break the filet into flakes in a bowl.
4. Remove the garlic clove from the oil, then gradually drizzle the oil into the bowl of baccalà, mashing well and stirring with a wooden spoon until all the oil is absorbed. Then, use either a hand-blender or a food processor to pulse the mixture, creating dual textures so some is smashed from the wooden spoon and some is creamy from the machine.
5. Add some cracked black pepper.
6. Sautè some bread slices in butter with a dash of salt and pepper.
7. Top with a good spoonful of baccalà, pepper, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Thanks to Tessa Kiros and Italy Segreta for this recipe.

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