QiMeal
Baccalà alla Vicentina
Baccalà alla Vicentina · ready in 3 h 30 min · 4 servings · 525 kcal per serving · medium · 8 ingredients
A slow Veneto braise where soaked stockfish turns silky in milk, onions, anchovies, Grana, and olive oil, traditionally served with polenta.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 3 h 5 min
- Total
- 3 h 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- kcal
- 525
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients · 4 servings
- 700 gStockfish, soaked, boned, and cut into large pieces
- 450 gOnion, thinly sliced
- 400 mlMilk
- 24 gAnchovy, rinsed and chopped
- 35 gGrana, finely grated
- 90 mlOlive oil
- ½ tspSalt
- ½ tspBlack pepper, freshly ground
Equipment
stovetop, cutting board, chef knife, heavy pot, grater, measuring jug, wooden spoon, tongs, lid, paper towel, serving spoon, serving plate
Instructions
- Prepare Station
Gather and weigh all ingredients, then set out a cutting board, chef knife, heavy pot, grater, measuring jug, wooden spoon, tongs, lid, and scale. · 10 min
What to look for: All ingredients measured and tools within reach
- Trim Fish
Check the soaked stockfish for bones, pat it dry, and cut it into broad pieces that will sit in one layer inside the pot. · 10 min
What to look for: Fish pieces look clean, firm, and evenly sized
- Soften Onion
Heat 30 g olive oil in the pot, add the onions and salt, and cook gently until soft and pale without browning. · 15 min
What to look for: Onions are glossy, collapsed, and still light in color
- Melt Anchovy
Add the chopped anchovies to the onions and stir gently until they dissolve into the oil and perfume the base. · 4 min
What to look for: Anchovies disappear into a savory onion mixture
- Layer Fish
Nestle the stockfish pieces into the onion base, spoon onions over the top, then scatter with Grana and black pepper. · 5 min
What to look for: Fish is surrounded by onions with cheese lightly covering the surface
- Add Milk
Pour in the milk and the remaining olive oil until the fish is almost covered, moving the pot gently rather than stirring hard. · 3 min
What to look for: Liquid nearly reaches the top of the fish pieces
- Braise Slowly
Cover and braise at the gentlest simmer, shaking the pot now and then so the fish stays intact while the sauce thickens. · 2 h 30 min
When it is done: Fish flakes easily and reaches 63°C / 145°F in the thickest piece
- Finish Sauce
Uncover and cook until the sauce coats the fish in a thick cream and the oil gathers in small golden pools at the edges. · 20 min
When it is done: Fish remains moist and flakes with gentle pressure
- Serve Hot
Serve the baccalà hot, spooning the creamy onion sauce over each portion and pairing it with firm polenta if prepared separately. · 2 min
What to look for: Each portion is coated with sauce and holds together in soft flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
| kcal | 525 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 49 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| of which sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 32 g |
| of which saturated | 7 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Sodium | 848 mg |
Nutri-ScoreB
Allergens
Contains: fish, milk
Storage and reheating
- Fridge: up to 3 days
- Freezer: yes, up to 1 months
- Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of milk or water, moving the pan softly to avoid breaking the fish.
Ingredient substitutions
Stockfish
- Soaked stoccafisso: Use properly soaked dried cod with bones removed.
Onion
- Yellow onion: Keeps the classic sweet onion base.
Milk
- Water: Use only when milk must be avoided, as the sauce will be less traditional.
Anchovy
- Anchovy fillet: Use preserved anchovy fillets and rinse if very salty.
Grana
- Grana Padano: Use finely grated cheese so it melts into the sauce.
Olive oil
- Extra virgin olive oil: A mild Italian oil suits the long braise.
