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Home » Course or Meal » Appetizers » Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)

Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)

February 28th, 2018 | 46 Comments

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.

Salt cod salad baccala salad photo

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.

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. Only four ingredients make this wonderful side dish, main or salad–however you want to call it–or serve it.

Baccala salt cod Italian salad photo

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.

breaking up baccala with fork photo salt codPlace on a serving plate or in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.

drizzling oil on fish baccala salt cod photo

Toss gently and serve. Keep salt cod salad leftovers refrigerated.

Insalata di Baccala Salt cod salad photo

 

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Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)

Insalata di Baccalà (Italian Salt Cod Salad)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

An authentic Italian recipe to prepare a simple salt cod dish. Often served during Lent.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz piece 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

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Remove the fish and allow to drain well and cool. Break the piece or pieces of fish into bite sized pieces.
  3. Place on a serving plate or in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
  4. Toss gently and serve. Keep salt cod salad leftovers refrigerated.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 4 ounces
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 134Total Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 20g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review by clicking on the 5 stars above, in the purple header (a form will appear) or tag me on Instagram! 😍

© Lidia Conte
Cuisine: Italian

Frank from Memorie di Angelina has a lovely baccala recipe with tomato sauce.

Photo courtesy of Frank from Memorie di Angelina
Photo courtesy of Frank from Memorie di Angelina

 

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Appetizers, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish & Shellfish, Gluten Free, Ingredient, Italian, Main Courses, Nut Free, Salads, Side Dishes · bacalao, baccala, cod, Fish, Garlic, Healthy, Italian, Italian fish, Italian salt cod, Italian style, Lent, Lent recipes, salad, salt cod, seafood

Reader Interactions

46 Responses

  1. Joanne says:
    March 1, 2018 at 3:02 am

    Amazing how much I continue to learn from you Christina! I know my grandmothers made this cod for one of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve because they bought it around the Christmas season. But I only saw/ate the finished product. What I saw walking past the “fish store”, phew, not an Italian store, was big, flat, black skinned dry fish hanging outside the entrance. My Mom said it was Baccala and you had to soak it to hydrate it. So is the skinless, boneless, cod you can buy by the pound the same cod that is in the fresh fish counters in the supermarkets? My husband and I love cod fish sandwiches and prefer not to fry our fish so I know we would really enjoy your healthy recipe but there are no Italian markets or Whole Foods in our area so can I use the fresh cod available to me here to make this salad? Or does it have to be salt cod? Grazie, Joanne

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 1, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      You’re so sweet, Joanne! Glad to help. Yes, although the flavor will be different than using salt cod, as long as you use a flaky, meatier fish like cod or haddock (my favorite), you could make it into this salad. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Cathy says:
    February 28, 2018 at 8:14 pm

    Ok, that does it, I am going to track down this salt cod and master it. It looks too good to pass up.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 1, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      That’s great, Cathy!!

      Reply
  3. Mary Quinn says:
    February 28, 2018 at 11:07 am

    My grandmother used to make this and we still do after all these years. We have an Italian grocery store that still carries the salted cod. Needless to say very busy at Christmas and Lent. We actually add vinegar to the salata along with the oil,

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      February 28, 2018 at 11:42 am

      Oh like a proper salad! I may just try that next time, Mary. Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Cynthia Falk says:
    February 28, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Bacalao is a traditional lunch in Puerto Rico, along with boiled green plantains, yautia and an egg. I’d forgotten about this lunch that my Abuela made several times a week, will make asap !

    Reply
  5. Sharpm says:
    February 28, 2018 at 9:51 am

    You did not mention removing bones, skin etc. Do you get boneless, skinless cod? If so, where do you get it please?

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      February 28, 2018 at 10:19 am

      That’s because our baccalà did not have skin or bones, but if it does, one would simply remove them. I buy ours at Italian markets here in LA. Do you have an Italian market near you? Where do you live?

      Reply
  6. Andi says:
    February 28, 2018 at 9:39 am

    As someone of Portuguese heritage, I love Bacalhau! This looks delicious and works with my low carb lifestyle.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      February 28, 2018 at 10:19 am

      Absolutely, Andi! Great protein, too!

      Reply
  7. Joe migliore says:
    December 21, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    I put capers and artichoke hearts in my baccala salad

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      December 22, 2016 at 8:34 am

      Sounds good, Joe! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  8. Mary Frances says:
    April 1, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    That cod looks so perfectly flakey and delicious!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      November 15, 2016 at 9:47 pm

      Thanks, Mary Frances!

      Reply
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Meet Christina

A Scottish Italian cook living in Los Angeles, Christina is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious. When she isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel, near and far, as long as good food is involved. Christina is on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from extinction, and is constantly promoting Scottish (and British) food as some of the best cuisine the world has to offer—one steak pie and sticky toffee pudding at a time.



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