Baccalà alla Vicentina

Baccalà alla vicentina is one of Veneto's most iconic dishes—salt cod (or more precisely, stoccafisso—air-dried, not salt-cured, cod) slowly braised in milk with onions, anchovies, Parmigiano, and olive oil until it collapses into a creamy, unctuous preparation served over polenta. The dish is the signature of Vicenza, where it inspires a fanatical devotion codified by the Confraternita del Bacalà alla Vicentina (Brotherhood of Baccalà alla Vicentina), a confraternity dedicated to preserving the canonical recipe. Confusingly, Vicentini call their dish 'baccalà' even though they use stoccafisso (stockfish—air-dried cod) rather than true baccalà (salt-cured cod)—a linguistic anomaly that has confused outsiders for centuries. The preparation begins days in advance: the stoccafisso is soaked in cold water for 3-4 days, changing the water daily, until it rehydrates and softens. The soaked fish is cleaned, boned, and cut into pieces, then layered in a casserole with sliced onions softened in olive oil, anchovy fillets (which melt and add invisible depth), milk, grated Parmigiano, parsley, and a generous amount of olive oil. The casserole is sealed and cooked at the lowest possible heat for 4-5 hours, during which the fish slowly disintegrates into the sauce, the milk and oil emulsify, and the whole assembly transforms into a creamy, ivory-coloured preparation that clings to the spoon. The result should be smooth, rich, and deeply savoury—the cod's protein-rich flesh having absorbed the milk and oil into something approaching a savoury cream. It is always served with polenta—either soft or grilled—which acts as the starch vehicle for the rich fish cream.

• Portuguese bacalhau (salt cod tradition)
• French brandade de morue (cod-milk-oil cream)
• Norwegian lutefisk (dried cod tradition)
• Spanish bacalao al pil pil