italian baccala salad

Italian Baccala Salad is a simple dish traditionally made every Christmas Eve (La Vigilia di Natale) by many Italian Americans for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, as well as during Fridays in Lent. Tender, flaked salt cod is combined with celery, lupini beans, pickled peppers, garlic, olives, and fresh parsley in a light dressing of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.

Italian Baccala Salad (Christmas Eve Salt Cod Salad)

lemon, (divided (about 4 Tbsp))

bay leaves

small-diced celery ((celery hearts are best, if available))

lupini beans, (drained (1 (8-ounce) jar))

sweet vinegar peppers

cherry peppers,

olives

kalamata olives

⅓ cup chopped, flat leaf parsley

Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Tbsp red wine vinegar

garlic

¼ tsp black pepper

red pepper ((optional))

To taste salt ((See Notes.))

REHYDRATE &amp; DESALT THE BACCALA: First, rinse the baccala well under running water to remove any surface salt. Then, soak it for 2 to 3 days to rehydrate it and pull most of the salt out of it. Immerse the baccala (can be cut down into smaller pieces) in a large bowlful of cold water to cover by a couple inches, cover and place it in the refrigerator. Ideally, prop it up on something, like a small, upside-down bowl, in the soaking container so the salt, as it dissolves off the fish, sinks to the bottom, and doesn’t remain in contact with the fish. Change the water at least twice daily.

Once the baccala has soaked for 2 days or so, check if it is sufficiently desalted by taste-testing a bit of the soaking water.  If it seems really salty, change the water again and let it soak a bit more. Keep in mind that you can always add salt to the recipe later, but you cannot fix salty cod once it has been mixed with other ingredients. Be patient and allow yourself enough time for this soaking process.

Once the baccala has finished soaking, rinse it under cold running water and cut it down into large chunks.Then prep and gather the remaining salad ingredients.(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)

COOK THE BACCALA: Put a pot of water on to boil that’s large enough to hold the baccala. Add 2-3 bay leaves and juice of ½ lemon (about 2 Tbsp) to the pot. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then add the baccala. Bring the water back to a light boil/heavy simmer and cook until the cod flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes or so. (Actual time will vary and depends on the size of the fish pieces.) Once it’s ready, pour all into a colander to strain and discard the bay leaves.

FLAKE: Transfer the drained, cooked salt cod fish to a mixing bowl and let it cool. While it’s cooling, carefully flake it using a couple of forks. I like to keep some pieces larger than other so that the finished salad will have an interesting texture. Don’t shred the baccala into oblivion, but rather gently flake it into small pieces.

MIX: Once the flaked baccala is mostly cooled, carefully fold in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the salt and gently mix until well-combined. Taste test, then add salt as needed. The amount of salt needed will really depend on if the baccala is still fairly salty. I used ½ teaspoon, fyi.

REST &amp; SERVE: Let the salad sit for about 1 to 2 hours (ideally) to allow the flavors to develop and meld together, give it a stir, then it’s ready to enjoy! Serve in any number of ways. Make it part of an antipasto platter, an entrée salad over a light bed of mixed greens or arugula, with a cup of soup or traditionally as part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the SevenFishes meal or any Friday in Lent. Buon Appetito!

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