Neapolitan Baccalà (Salt Cod) in Tomato Sauce with Roasted Peppers & Chile, Pine Nuts, & Golden Raisins
Today’s dish, a creation of Naples, Italy, is a great example of Southern Italian flavors and ingredients. Baccalà, or salted codfish, is pan-fried in olive oil, and served in a peppery-sweet tomato sauce with roasted bell peppers and chile pepper, pine nuts, and golden raisins. This sauce is my favorite part of the dish – it’s truely superb. Its flavors are well balanced – the golden raisins bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes, which contrasts with the heat from the chiles, and the saltiness of the baccalà. The roasted peppers add deep notes to the sauce, while the pine nuts add their pleasant nuttiness.
To build the sauce, saute red onion, simmer tomatoes, and blend in sliced roasted peppers, pine nuts, and raisins
With the sauce prepared, fold the pan-fried fish into the sauce, simmer briefly, and serve.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, if necessary
1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds refreshed salt cod or fresh fish
all-purpose flour for dredging fresh fish
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate, extract, or paste
3 sweet red peppers, roasted and peeled
½ small fresh hot green or red chili, roasted and peeled
2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in hot water to plump
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
In a medium skillet, heat ½ cup of the olive oil over medium heat until it has reached frying temperature (360 F).
While the oil is heating, cut the fish into 1-inch pieces. Pat refreshed salt cod dry with paper towels. If you’re using fresh fish, pat it dry, then dredge it lightly in flour, spread on a plate. (Do the drying and dredging right before you’re ready to fry; otherwise the coating will get gummy.)
When the oil is hot, add the fish pieces to the pan a few at a time and fry briskly until golden on all sides, transferring the finished pieces to a rack spread with paper towels to drain.
When all the fish pieces are done, lower the heat to low. Discard the oil, wipe the pan out, and add 2 tablespoons of fresh olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat slightly, and cook vigorously. As the tomatoes yield their liquid, stir in the tablespoon of concentrate. Continue to cook the tomatoes until they have disintegrated into a chunky sauce.
While the tomatoes are cooking, slice the peeled peppers into long 1/2-inch-thick strips. Chop the chili coarsely. Drain the soaking raisins.
Lower the heat under the tomato sauce again, then taste and add salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the salt cod my be very salty. Stir in the peppers, raisins, and pine nuts. Finally, fold in the pieces of fried fish. Cook the fish in the sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors together, then serve immediately, garnished with the minced parsley.