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    Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

    How to make Italian Baccala – Authentic Italian Recipe

    Published: Apr 12, 2013 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    2.1K shares
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    3.80 from 40 votes
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    How to make Italian Baccala.

    Guest Post:  My name is Mireille and I live in New York, where I have been lucky to be able to experiment with the cultural foods of many countries.

    My family background is as diverse as my city, with relatives spanning the globe from Haiti to Indonesia. I currently work freelance as a food writer and personal chef and use my blog to present authentic and fusion recipes from around the world. Lots of Indian, Caribbean and so many other cuisines are represented at Chef Mireille’s Global Creations (this blog no longer exists).

    italian baccala on a white platter garnished with rough cut parsley

    NY has one of the largest Italian communities, outside of Italy. Just about every other person you meet is at least ½ Italian. Most Italians are Catholic.

    As a result, Christmas is one of the most important holidays to them and one of their traditions involves eating 7 different seafood dishes on Christmas Eve. Many of the dishes will differ from family to family, however, one dish is always included – Baccala.

    6 pictures of the steps involved in making italian baccala

    Also known as Bacalao in other countries like Spain and Portugal, salted cod is popular in many countries. Usually originating as peasant food, it becomes part of the national culinary landscape in these countries.

    Why not make this classic a tradition in your home this year? Italian Baccala can bring a taste of Italy to your dinner table.

    authentic Italian baccala on a white serving platter

    If you are a seafood fanatic like I am, you may want to try this delicious tradition for your next Christmas meal. Who says you have to be Italian? Here are some ideas to complete the Feast of the Seven Fishes:

    • Clams Casino
    • Quick and Easy Steamed Mussels
    • Clams and Spaghetti
    • New Zealand Mussels served 5 ways

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    baccala
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    3.80 from 40 votes

    Table of Contents:

    • Italian Baccala
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition

    Italian Baccala

    Italian Baccala is a classic and in this guest post you’ll learn her family secrets to prepare this dish in your own home for the holidays.
    Prep Time1 day d
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 319kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ onion chopped
    • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
    • 12 oz . dried salted cod boned
    • ½ cup white wine
    • 1 ⅓ cup tomatoes chopped
    • ¼ cup parsley finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • juice of ½ lemon
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    • Soak fish in water for 24 hours. Drain and put fresh water to cover. You can repeat this process if the cod is still too salty.
    • Boil until fish is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Once it is cool enough to handle, flake by hand.
    • In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and wine and cook on medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until alcohol has been cooked out.
    • Add fish and parsley. Toss and cook for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add pepper and lemon juice and toss to combine.
    • Serve, garnished with more parsley, with crusty Italian bread or roasted potatoes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 5987mg | Potassium: 1419mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Megan

      December 09, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      I’m excited to try this. My cod is currently cooling, waiting to be flaked and added to the rest. I’m making it for a Christmas party for tomorrow night. I figured theat giving it a day for the flavors to develop should enhance it… hopefully…I’m going in blind folks! 😆

      Years ago I had some kind of salted cod dish at an Italian friend’s house. Through the years I’ve thought about that dish and how absolutely delicious it was. Well, when I saw salted cod in the grocery store a few days ago I knew I had to make something with it, and thus I found your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Caroline

      December 19, 2020 at 6:07 pm

      The recipe sounds great. When I was in Italy my uncle cooked like you on the stove. I just feel I have mention this. The baccala should be soaked for three days in large pot in refrigerator. Change water twice a day. If real thick might be 4 days. My father sold it in store.

      Reply
    3. Dari Bailey

      December 19, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      This sounds interesting. If we just have fresh cod, could we salt it slightly and follow the recipe as written or does it need to be dry cod for some reason?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        December 19, 2020 at 8:21 pm

        this is recipe is for salted cod. You could use fresh cod but it wouldn’t be quite the same

        Reply
    4. Emily

      December 06, 2020 at 11:35 am

      Is this served hot or cold?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        December 06, 2020 at 12:29 pm

        this version is served hot

        Reply
        • Linda

          August 17, 2021 at 12:58 pm

          Can it be made with salted pollock?

        • Chef Dennis Littley

          August 18, 2021 at 1:13 pm

          I don’t see why not

    5. Pasquale Pat Pannelle

      September 09, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      My grandmother would make me a salad with baccala in it. All I can remember is the baccala, lettuce, olive oil, lemon juice. I can not remember if she put anything else in it or not. This was in the 40s and early 50s until she passed in 1954. She was from Roccorama north of Naples. Would you have any recipes like this. She also made one with squid but I have no memory of what she put in it. She also made sauce with the squid in it.

      Reply
      • Tony

        December 09, 2020 at 1:19 pm

        We made a salad
        Baccala
        Vinegar cherry peppers
        Red pepper flakes
        Black oil cured olives
        Sliced red onion
        Garlic
        Fresh parsley

        Reply
      • Sue

        December 31, 2021 at 11:57 am

        The salad baccala traditional Naples recipe is with olive oil endive lettuce and rocket you can add tomatoes if you like but at Christmas we have spaghetti with a sauce made from tomatoes and pine nuts for a starter baccala is the one of the fish dishes we serve with eel fried and others

        Reply
    6. Jenelle Mannering

      April 26, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      This is my first time making this dish. I a man Italian and have wanted to this. I ate the Spanish version but didn’t like to. So here goes.

      Reply
    7. Thomas Sarnelli

      December 24, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      Have you ever tried it cold mixed with chopped octopus. Boil the octopus until tender. Let it cool, chop it fine. Add it to the mixture of Bacala, Tomato, Garlic, Parsley, onion. Cracked red Pepper. Sal, Lemon Juice… Fold together and serve with Crackers.. (Your choice, we use Ritz)… Excellent Appetizer.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        December 24, 2019 at 4:14 pm

        That sounds amazing Thomas, thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    8. Linda Cantave

      March 17, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      I am Haitian,
      We soak the salted fish in large container of water, you can add vinegar, some acid , but nothing else.

      Reply
      • Amanda

        December 16, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        I have seen you have to soak this for 24-48 hours, the recipe calls for only 4 hours. Is that in addition or is it only the 4 hours total for this dish?

        Reply
        • Chef Dennis Littley

          December 16, 2020 at 7:24 pm

          you are correct, it was a typo and should read 24 instead of 2-4

    9. Jeannie Hollstein

      December 15, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      We used to have it similar but mixed with homemade pasta. I haven’t had it since I was about 10years old.

      Reply
    10. robert A magno

      November 18, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      I belong to a group on FaceBook called “Italian and nothing but Italian” One of the members is doing the Seven Fishes but is having problems getting all the salt out of the Baccala. She soaks it for 4 days but the fish is still salty. Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 18, 2018 at 5:58 pm

        I’ve only ever used water to soak baccala and never that long. It sounds like that person got some bad baccala.

        Reply
      • Nick

        December 09, 2018 at 11:20 pm

        This is a total guess but 4 days in salt water would be like a brine. Any salt that would come off would end up in the water then absorb back into the fish. Once that happens you can’t get it out… It’s salted internally. Have her try again, but keep changing the water.

        Reply
      • Angela

        December 16, 2018 at 4:03 pm

        5 stars
        My Italian grandmother used to soak her fish in milk
        Milk

        Reply
        • Nadia

          December 13, 2022 at 11:41 pm

          Agreed, my mom always soaked it in milk

      • Tom

        December 22, 2018 at 9:04 am

        You need to regularly change the water. We’ve been having baccala for over 30 years. I usually change the water at least twice a day over a 4 day period and never had a problem. It will still be a tiny bit salty though. Good luck.

        Reply
      • j. v. gambino

        June 01, 2019 at 10:20 pm

        my nonna soaked the cod in fresh water and milk. she said it would remove the salt without “aging” the cod. not certain of that is valid or not, albeit, the packing salt was thouroughly gone.

        Reply
      • Robert Pontarollo

        November 06, 2019 at 12:45 pm

        Change the water every day and if 4 days is not long enough extend extra days until it’s not salty. I adore bakala and polenta. Bob

        Reply
      • Trudy

        December 17, 2021 at 10:50 pm

        Keep changing the water pour away and put fresh water every few hours

        Reply
    11. Peggy Robinson

      February 27, 2016 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      Just tried this came out great

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        February 27, 2016 at 11:13 am

        thanks for the feedback Peggy! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe

        Reply
    12. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen

      April 14, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      Oh I love this Italian Baccala, doesn’t matter if there’s not an ounce of Italian in me. Also, my late mom used to make a cod fish dish with tomato sauce and peppers & let it simmered low fire.
      I have to tell you though, that when we were in Rome we found a “Ristorante Quirino” near the Trevi fountain and walked in – they entertained us and fed us like we were ‘blood relatives’ ! So I will take this dish & any Italian food any day. Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis

        April 14, 2013 at 3:08 pm

        I love Rome Betty Ann and for me it was a restaurant near the Spanish Steps where we feasted like royalty one Christmas Eve!

        Reply
    13. Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen

      April 13, 2013 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      I love discovering new blogs and chefs.. I’ll be off to visit Chef Mireille shortly! I had been introduced to baccala by another blogger (the Bartolini Kitchens) and find dried fish a fascinating concept (we’re sort of Land-Locked here int he Prairies). I haven’t tried it yet.. but will look for it at the grocers now.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis

        April 13, 2013 at 3:23 pm

        hi Barbara
        thanks for stopping by and its always nice to try new things and see how others around the world eat! As crazy as it sounds you can probably get baccala online from an Italian grocer
        Cheers
        Dennis

        Reply
      • Lee Willits

        December 21, 2020 at 8:18 am

        Portuguese stores in the Northeast also carry salted cod. “Portugalia” in Fall River, Mass. is where I get mine. Good Luck.

        Reply
    14. Carolyn

      April 12, 2013 at 10:23 am

      Oooo, would ya look at that! Something on Dennis’s site that I could actually eat! 🙂 Looks fantastic, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Mireille

        April 12, 2013 at 10:28 am

        glad you like it. Hope you try it soon 🙂

        Reply
    15. Mireille

      April 12, 2013 at 10:25 am

      Thanks so much for this opportunity.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis

        April 12, 2013 at 7:09 pm

        You’re very welcome Mireille! thank you for creating such a delicious dish for your guest post!

        Reply
        • Sherry wines

          February 27, 2018 at 7:07 pm

          To get this particular fish is it sold in New York ? I live in Maryland and my dad actually was asking about Baccala^ he use to have this at his grandparents house which are from Italy. Could you please let me know where I can get Baccala^ for my dad thank you Sherry 😊

        • Chef Dennis Littley

          February 27, 2018 at 8:26 pm

          I wish I knew where to tell you to shop, but being in Orlando I have no clue where to get it in your area. I would start Googling it to see what stores in your area carry it.

        • Nancy z.

          March 21, 2018 at 7:59 pm

          You will find it an ant Latin American grocery. Korean grocery like Hmart in Georgia avenue
          Even giant.

        • Diana Rose Esposito

          July 17, 2021 at 12:02 am

          Sherry, in most italian-american communities the dried cod is usually sold at your corner store. However, my mom, after many years of using the dried cod, made it with fresh cod, broccoli, hot stuffed peppers, lemons and an olive oil/garlic dressing. Really yummy and with much less work. (She makes her own hot stuffed peppers.) D

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