Baccalà Alla Vicentina (Italy)
Vicenza's famous signature dish, baccalà alla Vicentina, is made with stoccafisso (stock-fish), which refers to a cod that is not salted but is air-dried until it is almost rock-hard and soaked in water for several days before cooking.
Stock fish was first introduced to the region in 1432 by Pietro Querini, a Venetian merchant whose ship was wrecked off the Norwegian coast. The crew was rescued, reaching the island of Røst, where stock-fish are very common, so traders brought some of these strange dried fish back to Vicenza.
The Venetians adopted this new ingredient as an alternative to expensive and perishable fresh fish, and eventually came up with their own recipe. Vicenza-style cod slowly boiled in milk flavored with a delicious soffritto base of garlic, onions and anchovies.
During long cooking hours, the fish meat becomes incredibly tender, while the milk tends to soften the strong flavor and aroma typical of dried cod. Baccalà alla Vicentina is traditionally served over soft polenta and is recommended to pair with local white wines such as Soave.
ENJOY YOUR MEAL