Basilicata, southern Italy
A quintessential Lucana preparation that bridges the region's two iconic ingredients: salt cod (baccalà) desalted over 48 hours, and peperoni cruschi — the dried, fried sweet peppers unique to Basilicata and Calabria. The baccalà pieces are dredged lightly in flour and browned in olive oil, then removed. In the same pan, thinly sliced onion is softened, diced waxy potatoes are added and partially cooked, followed by crushed San Marzano tomatoes, torn peperoni cruschi (briefly fried separately to maintain their crunch) and the browned baccalà. The stew braises covered for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fully tender and the baccalà has absorbed the paprika sweetness of the cruschi. Finished with chopped flat-leaf parsley and raw olive oil.
Sweet, smoky cruschi pepper; savoury desalted cod; tomato acidity; starchy potato absorbing all surrounding flavours; the dish is earthy, piquant and deeply satisfying.
{"Desalt the baccalà for a minimum 48 hours, changing the water every 12 hours — under-desalted cod will make the entire dish inedibly salty","Fry the peperoni cruschi separately in very hot olive oil for just 30 seconds — they burn instantly but must be crisp; add them to the stew at the very end to preserve texture","Brown the baccalà in flour before adding to the braising liquid: the flour coating helps it hold together during the stew and thickens the sauce","Use waxy potatoes that hold their shape rather than floury ones that dissolve","Keep the braise gentle and covered: the baccalà poaches in the tomato sauce rather than simmering — high heat makes it rubbery"}
{"Add a small piece of dried peperoncino to the soffritto as well as the cruschi — the heat of the peperoncino balances the sweetness of the cruschi","A tablespoon of the cruschi frying oil stirred in at the end adds concentrated sweet pepper flavour to the finished sauce","This dish is better the next day: the baccalà absorbs more sauce overnight and the flavours deepen"}
{"Insufficient desalting time — the most common and most catastrophic error","Adding peperoni cruschi too early — they will absorb moisture and become soft, losing their essential textural contrast","Boiling rather than simmering the stew, causing the baccalà to break apart and become stringy","Using floury potatoes that dissolve into the sauce"}
La Cucina Lucana: Tradizioni e Sapori della Basilicata