Keeping fish recipes in your weekly diet can be difficult – maybe because of its particular taste or because it can be tricky to pair the right flavors to balance out that particular taste.
But this recipe is sure to change your mind; it features salted codfish ‘alla cappuccina’ – a dish typical of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, but also adopted in Veneto and Trentino.
As the name suggests, this recipe was invented by Capuchin monks centuries ago, and it survives to this day. A sweet-and-savory recipe that also features raisins and cinnamon.
Discover the original recipe below. For some interesting facts and tips to make it taste even better, browse the photo gallery!
The Recipe for Baccalà alla Cappuccina
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
2 slices codfish (cleaned and desalinated)
Flour
2 white onions
2 bay leaves
4 anchovies or anchovies in oil
1 cinnamon stick
A pinch of nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Breadcrumbs
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
You’ll need cornmeal to prepare the polenta – the essential side dish for baccalà alla cappuccina. Dissolve cornmeal in 4 cups of boiling salted water and stir frequently for about an hour. Once thick, pour it into a baking dish. In the meantime, rinse the 2 slices of codfish under running water and very carefully remove the skin.
Dip the codfish slices in flour and brown them in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: slice the onions in rings and fry them in the bottom of the pan used to cook the codfish. Add1/2 cup water and let them dry out. Add the chopped anchovies and return the cod along with the spices into the pan (the cinnamon stick, a little grated nutmeg and ground pepper).
Finally, add the pine nuts, raisins, bay leaves and milk. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Transfer codfish and the ingredients in the saucepan to the polenta-filled baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake au gratin in the oven for about 5 minutes (i.e. on broil).