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1
Begin desalting 48 hours before service. Submerge the baccalà fillets in a large bowl of cold water, refrigerated, changing the water at least 3 times across 48 hours. Before proceeding, taste a small piece of the raw fish: it should register as mildly salty, not sharp — this is the test that determines whether desalting is complete.
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2
Pat the desalted fillets dry. Dredge each piece in flour, shaking off all excess. Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy pan to a depth sufficient for shallow-frying and set over a medium-high flame. When the oil shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles on contact, lay in the fillets without crowding. Fry until deep golden on both sides — the crust should be firm and the colour an even amber. Remove and drain on a rack or absorbent paper.
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3
Reduce the heat under the same pan. Add a little more oil if necessary. Add the drained golden raisins and toasted pine nuts and sauté briefly until fragrant — about one minute, stirring to prevent the pine nuts from scorching.
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4
Add the roasted pepper strips, the passata, and the white wine vinegar. Stir and warm together over a gentle heat until the sauce is cohesive and the vinegar has lost its raw edge — approximately 5 minutes. This is the agrodolce foundation: the sweet-sour-savoury balance is delicate and intentional. Taste the sauce; it should carry sweetness from the raisins, acidity from the vinegar, and body from the tomato in clear, separate registers. This is where the dish lives or dies — if the vinegar is absent or the sauce is flat, the balance that defines the preparation collapses.
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5
Nestle the fried cod fillets into the sauce in a single layer. Braise at the lowest possible heat, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes, basting the fillets occasionally with the sauce. The cod is ready when it yields to gentle pressure but does not flake apart completely — remember it continues cooking off the heat.
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6
Remove from the heat and allow to rest. Serve warm or at room temperature — both are correct within the Roman-Jewish tradition.