How to cook cod: traditional recipes

Codfish is one of the main ingredients in many traditional Italian recipes. From North to South, everyone loves this special Nordic cod, Gadus morhua, fished for Longino by Giraldo, a leader in the wild cod hook fishery off Iceland and the Faroe Islands. A staple ingredient of the Portuguese diet, to the point that they have created a recipe for each of the 365 days of the year, salt cod has climbed the ranks in Italy, which now boasts of being the second-largest country in the world for salt cod consumption.

What fish is cod?

This is a popular question, especially because there is often confusion between cod and stockfish. The difference between cod and stockfish is simple: cod is salted cod, stockfish is air-dried cod. In addition, stockfish is produced in Norway, where cod fillets are placed on racks to dry for three long months, under the sun and with the help of the north wind. Cod, typical of several European nations such as Norway, Denmark and Iceland, does not require special climatic conditions, except for careful mastery during the salting stage.

Generally, you can find cod to be desalted on the market, which requires extra time to prepare the dish, about two days, so it is not the ideal solution for those looking for a quick and easy dinner. Giraldo, our partner company, on the other hand, offers a desalted cod, meaning a soaked cod, a ready-to-use, easy and quick-to-cook product that can be easily stored in the fridge. This company, based in the Basque Country in Spain, has been able to elevate a traditional folk dish, turning it into a modern gastronomic staple and a gourmet main course. Giraldo leaves the cod in salt for several months, only after a lengthy salting phase it will be cut into uniform fillets and desalted with ice water between 0°C and 2°C only at the customer's request, resulting in a desalted cod that is always customized.

Traditional recipes with cod

Desalted cod fish has a firm flesh that requires short, low-temperature cooking to best appreciate its texture and characteristic tendency to flake easily with a fork. Each Italian region has its own take on cod, recipes with cod tied to the traditions and typical ingredients of the area. For each recipe, you can cut the cod into larger or smaller pieces depending on the preparation, or choose one of the many different packagings.

• Vicenza-style cod: to prepare this famous recipe from Veneto, you need to flour the cod and pan sear it briefly with olive oil, onions, sardines and parsley. What will make this recipe special is the addition of milk, grated cheese, salt and pepper, and then cover with oil and let it cook over a gentle heat in an earthenware pot for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The dish will look like a soft and flavorful stew when cooked.
• Baccalà mantecato: this recipe comes in the form of an emulsion made from the flesh of codfish boiled in water, milk and salt, worked vigorously with oil, fresh garlic, salt and pepper until a soft, enveloping cream with an intense flavor is obtained, excellent to spread on bread croutons as a classic Venetian cicchetto.

• Stewed cod: a popular recipe that involves flouring to prepare the cod for cooking by sautéing it together with oil, garlic and chili pepper. At this point, the fish should be removed from the pan and tomato puree added, then olives, capers and parsley or fresh herbs to taste. Only when the sauce is well seasoned, you can continue cooking the cod for about ten minutes. There are different versions of this recipe, one of the most mouth-watering is definitely the Messina-style cod with the addition of celery, potatoes and onions to the tomato sauce. A delicacy in which the tenderness of the fish is welcomed by a sauce with typical Mediterranean smells and flavors.
• Codfish in white sauce with potatoes: this version of codfish with potatoes is more delicate than the previous stew version, simply sauté the onions and floured cod fillets in plenty of oil, then cook the potatoes with olives and a few bay leaves. Once this delicate sauce has been created, finish cooking the cod and the dish will be ready.
• Fried Cod: This is a great quick and easy recipe to offer your guests as a tasty appetizer. Simply mix tempura flour with sparkling water to make the batter for the codfish, once the fish has been dipped into the batter it will be time for the breadcrumbs with panko bread, and then fry the delicious croquettes in hot oil.