Cod, heavily salted to preserve it, was widely imported into Catholic Europe as a cheap way of providing fish for the masses on Fridays and fast days, when meat was avoided. As a consequence, people sought out the tastiest ways to cook it. Times have changed and salt cod is no longer cheap, but the traditions live on, notably in Rome, where salt cod is called baccalà and is sold ready-soaked by weight on Fridays. My local norcineria is proud of the way their salt cod is soaked, and there is often a scrabble for the last fat fillet.
It is very likely that this Roman Jewish preparation of salt cod, tomatoes, raisins, and pine nuts migrated north from Sicily. In fact, I first ate this dish when it was cooked by Carmela, Vincenzo’s mum, who migrated from Sicily to Rome with his dad, Bartolomeo, 25 years ago. The combination of the firm and fleshy cod, simmered until tender and falling in deep flakes into a tomato sauce enriched with onion, nuts, and the sweetness of the plump raisins, is a wonderful one.
You are most likely to find salt cod in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, West Indian, or Asian food shops. Look out for fillets that are thick and white; if they are yellow and thin, they are most likely old and therefore stringy and tough. You will need to soak the fish for at least 36 hours, changing the water at least 6 times. This probably sounds like a right palaver, which it is, but worth it if you like the distinctive texture and flavor of salt cod.
If you can’t find salt cod, ordinary cod works well too; it just requires less, and more attentive, cooking. Like so many braised dishes, this one benefits from a rest, and from being served just warm rather than hot. Make sure you have plenty of light red or rosé chilling to drink alongside.
serves 4
1¾ pounds salt cold, soaked
1 large onion
1 (14.5-ounce) can plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup raisins or golden raisins
⅓ cup pine nuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse and pat the salt cod dry with paper towels. Cut it into pieces roughly 2½ inches long and ¾ inch wide. Thinly slice the onion and either pass the tomatoes through a food mill or chop them.
Heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or casserole dish over medium-low heat, add the onion, and cook gently until softened. Add the salt cod and gently fry it until lightly golden, using a spatula and a wooden spoon to turn the pieces. Add the raisins and pine nuts and then the tomatoes. Half cover the pan and leave it bubbling gently for 30 minutes, turning the salt cod halfway through the cooking time. If the sauce seems to be getting too thick, add a little water. Taste and season cautiously—the salt cod will do most of the seasoning.
I also make a variation of this dish with fresh cod fillet, which is considerably less robust than salt cod. I make the sauce as above, but instead of adding the cod after the onion, I fry it briefly in another pan until the outside is opaque, then I add it to the sauce for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.