Stewed Salt Cod

Stewed salt cod is a traditional Italian dish that features salt cod slowly cooked in a tomato sauce. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 600 g of pre-soaked salt cod
• 500 g of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion
• Chopped parsley to taste
• Flour as needed for dusting the salt cod
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water or fish broth as needed

Preparation

1. Begin by finely chopping the garlic and thinly slicing the onion, then sauté them in a pan with extra virgin olive oil until golden brown.
2. In the meantime, dry the pieces of soaked salt cod and coat them in flour. Then shake them to remove the excess flour.
3. Remove the garlic and onion from the heat and place the pieces of salt cod in the same pan. Brown the salt cod on both sides.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes or tomato puree to the salt cod. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a low heat with the lid on for about 20-30 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much, add some water or fish broth to maintain a moist consistency.
5. At the end of cooking, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

If you like, you can serve this dish with slices of toasted bread or with polenta for a rustic and traditional touch.

Curiosity

Salt cod, historically preserved under salt, is a widely used ingredient in Italy, especially during the Lenten season and Christmas holidays. There are different regional variations of stewed salt cod, some of which include olives, capers, or pine nuts to enhance the dish.