Baccalà Mantecato alla Veneziana

Venice, Veneto

Venice's whipped salt cod — desalted stockfish (or salt cod) poached until tender, then beaten vigorously with olive oil and sometimes cream until it forms a light, fluffy white mousse. The mantecatura (beating) must be done while the fish is still warm — as it cools it becomes harder to beat to the correct texture. Served at room temperature on grilled white polenta rounds (crostini di polenta bianca) or bruschetta as a Venetian cicchetti. The correct consistency: spreadable, light, almost mousse-like — not a paste.

• Identical preparation: desalted cod whipped with olive oil and cream to a light mousse — Provençal serves warm, Venetian serves at room temperature → Brandade de morue — whipped salt cod with olive oil and sometimes cream French · (Provençal)
• Dried cod (klippfisk = stockfish) prepared as a spreadable preparation for bread — Northern European cousin to the Venetian preparation → Lefse med klippfisk — dried cod preparation spread on flatbread Norwegian
• Whipped salt cod with olive oil as a spread — Catalan adds potato for body; Venetian uses pure fish emulsion → Brandada de bacallà a la catalana — Catalan whipped salt cod with potatoes and olive oil Spanish · (Galician)

Light, mousse-like salt cod; olive oil richness; white pepper warmth; neutral-sweet polenta as the platform; Venetian cicchetti elegance