Cod fish alla Vicentina with Polenta

• 20 minutes to prepare • 120 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

Odd's fish

Cod fish is a favorite meal of my family but it only appears occasionally on my dinner table.

The reason is simple: even if I know that it is healthy and I should be eat more, I do not like cod fish.
One of the few ways to prepare cod fish which I appreciate is alla vicentina, or in the style of the northern Italian city of Vicenza, slowly simmered in milk flavored with a savory soffritto of garlic, onions and anchovies.

To be precise, I should mention that the cod fish in this dish should be stockfish, codfish that is not salted but sun and air-dried until it is almost rock hard. Stockfish needs to be soaked in several changes of water over 3 or even 4 days before you can cook it.
This is the usual codfish used in the cooking of the Veneto, where this dish originates. But if you can’t find stockfish — it can be hard to find — this recipe works perfectly well with fresh cod fish, with a few adjustments.
I hope you enjoy it!!

Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

600 g fresh cod fillet without skin, cut into 8 pieces
2 onions, chopped
1 sprig parsley
30 g anchovy fillets, minced
120 ml EVO oil
100 ml white wine
250 ml milk
30 g butter
4 cloves garlic
50 g freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
flour for dusting
salt and pepper

1. In a tablespoon of EVO oil, cook the onions and garlic over low heat stirring regularly, until soft, about 10 minutes
2. Add minced anchovies and the white wine. Let the wine evaporate, then stir in chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper. Remove the garlic and turn off the heat 
3. Season the pieces of cod with salt and dust them with flour
4. Find a pot into which the pieces of cod fit snugly in a single layer. Place the butter in it and let it melt
5. Arrange the pieces of cod in a single layer and cook until they become golden
6. Cover with the remaining onion mixture and add grated parmigiano, milk and cinnamon powder. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. 
7. Prepare the polenta according to package instructions. Heat up the indicated amount of water,  and salt. Sprinkle the cornmeal into the water while it is not boiling yet, whisking all the while to prevent lumps. The Italians say the polenta should “rain” into the pot. 
8. When you have added all of the cornmeal, bring to a boil, stirring. When it boils, lower the heat and keep stirring until the polenta is cooked and so thick it detaches from the pot. It usually takes 1 hour to be ready. Finally add some butter to enrich its taste
9. Serve the fish with the polenta, and instruct your guests to combine both in each spoonful. Buon appetito!

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.