Grandmother's Baccala Salad

By polloazul

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless salt cod
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 1/2 bunch coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups fruity green olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Juice of 2 lemons

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Soak the salt cod. For this recipe you want it to retain a fairly strong flavor. Start by rinsing the fish under lukewarm running water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, cover the fillets with cold water and let soak in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 to 10 hours. After they are soaked rinse them one more time under cold running water for just 1 minute. Drain.

Place the fillets in a high-sided sauté pan with enough cold water to cover. Cut the fish in half if necessary. Bring to a near boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. It is important to cook the fish through without overcooking. Remove, drain and allow to cool before breaking into flakes by hand. Finely chop the tough pieces from the belly that don’t flake.

Combine the sliced garlic and onion with the parsley, bay leaves and oil. Fold in the flaked fish. Season to taste with pepper and red pepper. If it needs salt, that means the fish is over-soaked. Wrap airtight and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to marry. Bring back to room temperature before serving. Add the lemon juice at the last minute, mix and serve.

Note: This salad can be served by itself with salad greens and toasted bread, but it is best as one of many components of an antipasto or seafood feast.