Loretta Sebastiani
Florence-style salt cod
(
Baccalà alla Fiorentina
)
Traditional recipe of Tuscany
Florentine-style salt cod is a tasty recipe. Salt cod (in Italy baccalà) is soaked, fried and flavored in tomato sauce just before serving. It's a real example of poor cooking in Tuscany. As usual the simplest recipes are the tastiest recipes, aren't they? To make this recipe of Tuscany you need preferably an earthenware pot for tomato sauce and a pan to fry the cod. Other ideas with the sea fish? shellfish? shellfish?
difficulty: easy
time: 50 minutes
calories: (kCal)
Ingredients / Serves 4
- For salt cod preparation
- 500g (1.1 pound) salt-dried cod
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 garlic clove
- All-purpose flour for dredging
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
- Little bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- For the sauce
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 300g (10 1/2 ounces) ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into pieces or canned tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper (if liked)
- Difficulty:
- easy recipe
- Time: preparation: 20 minuti
- How many calories in a serving?
- Calories:
n.c. (kcal)
-
n.c. (kJ)
Protein: n.c. (g)
Total fat: n.c. (g)
Total carbohydrate: n.c. (g)
Sugars: n.c. (g)
plus soaking time
cooking: 30 minutes
total: 50 minutes
Download free PDF version (272 download).
Florentine-style salt cod recipe
Preparation and cooking
- - Prepare tomato sauce.
Use preferably an earthenware pot.
Sautè leek and garlic in olive oil on low heat.
Be careful not to brown leek.
Then add tomatoes too.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, 10 to 15 minutes. - - Fry soaked salt cod.
Meanwhile cut cod into large pieces (1 1/2 by 3 inches), then dip them into flour.
Heat abundant olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add rosemary, garlic and cod pieces, few pieces at a time.
Fry cod pieces until golden on both sides.
Remove every piece with a skimming ladle and put on absorbent kitchen paper to remove the excess of fat. - - Flavor fried cod in tomato sauce.
Transfer fried cod into the pan with tomato sauce.
Arrange them in a single layer.
Let them soak up flavor for minutes on a very low heat.
Just before serving
- - Sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving.
Note
Tips
- - Before making this recipe you have to soak salt cod. Follow these instructions:
- put salt cod in a large bowl and cover with cold water
- chill it for two days but remember to change its water very often, every 4-6 hours if possible.
- at the end remove its skin and bones and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper - - Be careful to salt amount. Despite your cod has been soaked it's still salty.
- - Be careful to cooking time. Salt cod must not be cooked too long otherwise its meat becomes stringy.
- - If you haven't fresh parsley use dried parsley.
- - If you don't like garlic you can use a couple of tablespoons dried or fresh chives.
- - Look at the photo for more details.
Menu planning
- - Salt cod, Florentine-style is a typical dish for a no-meat menu that can be a main dish on your family menu or a second course in a full fish menu but in much smaller portions.
- - Accompany with boiled vegetables in season. Some people serve boiled potatoes too, but remember they increase calories certainly.
Healthy eating
- - I couldn't calculate calories, fat ... . It's impossible to know the right amount of flour and olive oil for frying.
- - Fry food is not a choice of healthy eating, don't eat frequently ;))
What's the right wine for " Florence-style salt cod "?
My husband and I uncorked a bottle of Dolcetto d'Asti (red wine of Piedmont) when we tested this salt cod recipe because we think the best choice may be a velvety, young red wine with average tannicity. So you could choose a red wine from Tuscany with these features.