Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)
Salt cod salad, or Insalata di Baccalà (in Italian) is a simple dish that is traditionally made during Lent. It’s also super healthy and nutritious if you’re trying to improve your diet.
Originally published on March 26, 2015.
As promised, here is my mother’s other baccalà recipe, in addition to her deep fried, battered salt cod from last week.
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My mother said Nonna called this a name that was something like “white”, which doesn’t translate very well to English, so I gave it a name as being a salad, but it’s truly not a salad.
This dish is a bit easier than the battered baccalà because there’s no batter to make, or deep frying involved. Instead, the salt cod is boiled, after being soaked, and broken up into pieces and mixed as you would a salad.
I made a Scottish Italian twist on this recipe by making a smoked haddock salad the same way!
Only four ingredients make this wonderful side dish, main or salad–however you want to call it–or serve it.
Insalata di Baccala (Italian Salt Cod Salad)
recipe by Lidia Conte
Ingredients
- salt cod, soaked for 12 to 36 hours, depending on the thickness (rinse 2 or 3 times and one more time when removing from the water)
- 1 to 3 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 3 cloves of garlic
- some chopped, fresh parsley
Place the presoaked fish in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or longer if the fish is a thicker piece, as long as it is cooked properly.
Remove the fish and allow to drain well and cool. Break the piece or pieces of fish into bite sized pieces.
Place on a serving plate or in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Toss gently and serve. Keep salt cod salad leftovers refrigerated.
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Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)
Ingredients
- 12 oz piece salt cod (soaked for 12 to 36 hrs - see notes)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Place the presoaked fish in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or longer if the fish is a thicker piece, as long as it is cooked properly.
- Remove the fish and allow to drain well and cool. Break the piece or pieces of fish into bite sized pieces.
- Place on a serving plate or in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
- Toss gently and serve. Keep salt cod salad leftovers refrigerated.
Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find.
- Depending on the size and thickness of the salt cod, rinse 2 or 3 times and one more time when removing from the water over the course of 12 to 36 hours.
Nutrition
Frank from Memorie di Angelina has a lovely baccala recipe with tomato sauce.
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So simple but sounds so wonderful. I love recipes like this that allow the ingredients to really shine! I bet it keeps you very satisfied too with all the lean protein!
Absolutely, Chris!
Looks womderful and simple. I use a Portuguese receipt that is similar but adds potatoes and olives!
Someone had said the same thing, David, about adding potatoes, but olives, too!! Delicious!
Once again you’ve done it beauty and minimalism plus salt cod. Lovely.
You are much too kind, Judy!
How many pounds of cod does this recipe call for?
Hi Danielle. It is dried cod, so it comes in pieces. Whatever amount you’d like to make; usually one would just buy a piece of baccala and soak it. I pound of dried fish is the equivalent to a lot more when it’s rehydrated. Hope this helps!
Oh yum, this is some of my favorite kind of food. I’ve never seen it looking better (and now I’m incredibly hungry, of course)!
Thank you, Heather! :)
My mom’s side of the family is Portuguese and we LOVE our salt cod! I don’t think I have had it prepared like this and I am not sure why, we eat so many cold salads with olive oil. My hubby would add steamed potatoes to this as well, then drizzle the olive oil. Yum!
That sounds good with the added potatoes, Andi!
Dear Christina,
Great post and recipe. Love this insalata di baccala. Perfect for the last week in Lent. Nice and white, plus big flaky pieces, drizzled in EVOO. Sounds fabulous and very tasty. Thanks for sharing, have an outstanding weekend.
Dottie :)
This is amazing Christina, where do find salt cod?
Any Italian market should carry it, Sue, and another reader posted on my other salt cod recipe that it’s available at Whole Foods, too. CC