Baccalà: Step by Step. How to Prepare your Christmas Eve Baccala

Baccalà— is Italian for salted codfish—comes mostly from the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland, where it’s fished, salted and exported all over the world. Here are some tips for how to choose and prepare your baccalà.

1. When you pick out a piece of baccalà remember that the color of the meat should be close to white and the skin light colored. If the meat color tends towards yellow, do not buy it.

2. If sold whole, try to buy a long, thick fish; if possible it should be a bit more than one-inch thick in the middle of the filet.

3. If it’s not already packed and wrapped in plastic, and you’re allowed to smell it, remember that its odor, even if a bit intense, must be of fish and nothing else (no chemical smells should be evident).

4. Prior to soaking,  cut your baccala fish into large pieces.  Cutting the fish before soaking helps speed up the re-hydration process.

5. At least two days prior to cooking (but we recommend 3 days if you have the time), you should begin soaking your salted baccalà in fresh water (at least 36-48 hours). First wash the pieces thoroughly, eliminating all the salt on the surface, and then completely submerge in any container that will hold a lot of water; change the water at least three times a day (every eight hours or even more frequently). While soaking, store baccala in a cool place. Refigeration is not necessary.

6. Just before cooking, peel off the skin and eliminate any bones—a pair of small pliers will be very helpful for this.

 (picture below is baccala after soaking for 3 days)