How to Cook Dry-cured Cod with Olives and Capers

Baccala in Italian cuisine is a dry-cured cod. Codfish inhibits northern seas, but Italians took fancy to it. They traditionally import baccala from the northern countries. Dry-cured cod has always played an important role in Italian cuisine for two reasons. First, this is relatively cheap fish. Second, dry-cured cod is very salty so there has never been a possibility that it perishes while shipment. Norwegian fisheries have all the skills how to store their products for long periods of time. Cod is a nutritive fish, for it is a source of unsaturated acids (Omega 3) that help keep our blood vessels healthy. Vitamin rich cod liver is also highly valued and is used for baby diets. Codfish never lost its popularity because it tastes good and cooks quickly. One of the things you should know about how to cook the codfish right is that you have to soak it in water first to remove excessive salt from it. This recipe teams up baccala with potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and olives. All the ingredients create exotic and filling dish.

Ingredients for Dry-cured Pod with Olives and Capers

• 1 lb (500 g) dry-cured cod
• 300 g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 400 g tomatoes
• 10-15 di Gaeta olives
• 10-15 capers
• 1 parsley stalk
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare the fish beforehand. To remove excessive salt, cut the fish into pieces and soak in water for 2 days, changing the water 2-3 times.

1. If there is no dry-cured cod available, replace it with frozen or fresh one. If replaced, there is no need to soak the fish in water.
2. Wash and peel potatoes. Dice coarsely.
3. Chop garlic finely.
4. Chop one half of onion finely, and cut the other half into half rings.
5. Cut tomatoes, parsley and olives finely.
6. Wash away salt form capers and cut them in half.
7. Pour olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté garlic with onion until golden.
8. Add tomatoes, parsley, potatoes and half-rings of onion and a glass of water.
9. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes over very low heat.
10. When potatoes are soft, add cod pieces, olives and capers.
11. Cover again and keep simmering for additional 15 minutes.
12. Turn the heat off and serve on a serving plate or in portions.