Codfish Stew / Baccala in Bianco
SERVES 4 TO 6
Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a fishing community and home to nearly thirty-two thousand Sicilians who settled there to make their living from the sea much as they had done in their native Sicily. The life of a fisherman is physically exhausting and very dangerous, as evidenced by the community’s monuments dedicated to fisherman.
For an introductory segment on fresh codfish for one of my programs, I traveled to Gloucester to cook with Angela Orlando Sanfilippo, president and CEO of the Fishermen’s Wives Association. Angela was born in Porticello, Sicily, and is an expert on all kinds of fish and seafood cookery. She is a national spokesperson and activist for reform and fairness in the fishing industry.
One of her most requested recipes is baccala in bianco (fresh codfish stew). She begins with a soffritto, a sauté of onions and potatoes that becomes the base for a stew in which water is the only liquid. Pine nuts and raisins, two typical ingredients of many Sicilian dishes, are added when the stew is served.
When I sampled the dish, I knew it would become a favorite. The broth was light, the fish meaty and delicate, and the seasonings perfect. The dish can also be made with dried and rehydrated codfish, but the taste will be very different.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup minced Italian parsley
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 cups hot water
- 3 pounds fresh cod fillets, cut into chunks with skin attached
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
- Fine salt to taste
- Grinding of coarse black pepper
- INGREDIENTS
Directions
- In a soup pot heat the olive oil, stir in the onions, and cook over medium heat until they are wilted down but not browned. Stir in the parsley and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the water and stir the ingredients. Place the codfish chunks on top of the mixture and sprinkle on the pine nuts and raisins. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Uncover the pot, stir the ingredients carefully, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the fish into soup bowls and serve immediately.
This recipe was featured on Season 10 - Episode 1007.
Comments
jo ann harris
My mother used to make a dish for St. Joseph altar using cod & I can’t find the recipe for that & it was delicious. The fish was cut into chunks, floured & fried,Veggies, onion, green onion, garlic, celery, capers, green & ripe olives.The fish was floured & fried in veggie oil, veggies in olive oil & all was combined a big pot to simmerfor awhile & either served warm or cold .If anyone has knowledge of this recipe let me know.Grazzi,guiseppa Anna
jo ann harris
My mother used to make a dish for St. Joseph altar using cod & I can’t find the recipe for that & it was delicious. The fish was cut into chunks, floured & fried,Veggies, onion, green onion, garlic, celery, capers, green & ripe olives.The fish was floured & fried in veggie oil, veggies in olive oil & all was combined a big pot to simmerfor awhile & either served warm or cold .If anyone has knowledge of this recipe let me know.Grazzi,guiseppa Anna
Ginny Matthews
My Mother made a similar stew with a thin tomato base.
Ginny Matthews
My Mother made a similar stew with a thin tomato base.