Venetian creamed cod with polenta

• Leave the stockfish soaked in cold water for at least 24 hours, frequently changing the water.
• After 24 hours, cut the stockfish in pieces and put it in a pan with cold water and 150 ml milk.
• Add a pinch of salt. Bring the fish to the boil and leave it cooking for about 20 minutes.
• Drain the fish, clean it, cut into small pieces and place it in a bowl.
• Stir the cod firmly by using with a wooden spoon or a blender. Gradually add the oil.
• You'll get an appealing, dense and homogeneous cream. As a finishing touch, you can add finely minced parsley, garlic and pepper. The same you can enjoy with polenta slices at Cantina Do Spade.

A delicate, yet rich recipe, especially suggested in the cold months.

Even if the Italian recipe mentions the baccalà, i.e the salt cod, to prepare this recipe you need the stockfish («stoccafisso»), an Arctic cod of Norwegian origin. Its name comes from the Norwegian word «stokkfish», which means “fish stick”. The recipe owes its name to the fact that Venetians used to call the stockfish «baccalà». Furthermore, the stockfish is usually sold as a whole fish and it needs to be soaked in cold water for a long time, before it can be cooked. The creamed cod is an ancient, delicate and refined recipe, that belongs to Venetian tradition. It really is a small gastronomic miracle: indeed, it can transform a pretty rustic ingredient such as the cod into a tasty cream, that can be served with white polenta, with polenta or bread canapes or in many other ways. The creamed cod is a real highlight in the cuisine of Veneto region, appreciated by those who can recognize the high quality and tastiness of its ingredients.