Baccalà alla Vicentina Rivisitato con Polenta Bianca — Reinterpreted Vicenza-Style Stockfish with White Polenta
- Aug 5
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Slow-Cooked Stockfish with Silky Vicentina Sauce and Traditional Venetian White Polenta
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Soaking Time: 48–72 hours
Cooking Time: 3½–4 hours
Difficulty: Advanced
Cuisine: Veneto, Italy — Contemporary Interpretation
Course: Secondo
Story of the Dish
This interpretation respects the fundamental identity of Baccalà alla Vicentina while changing the final handling of the stockfish and its sauce.
Despite its name, authentic Baccalà alla Vicentina is traditionally prepared with stoccafisso—air-dried cod—rather than salt-cured cod.
The stockfish is rehydrated slowly, then cooked with the ingredients that define the Vicenza preparation: onions, anchovies, parsley, milk, extra-virgin olive oil, flour, and aged cheese.
The difference in this version lies primarily in the final stages of cooking.
Rather than allowing the fish and sauce to continue cooking together until they become almost inseparable, the stockfish is removed as soon as it reaches perfect tenderness.
The remaining cooking juices, onions, anchovies, milk, and olive oil are then reduced and partially emulsified into a silky Vicentina sauce.
The fish is returned only at the end.
This preserves the integrity of each portion while maintaining the unmistakable flavor of the traditional dish.
And instead of black polenta, this version is served with Polenta Bianca, one of the most characteristic accompaniments of Venetian cuisine.
Made from white cornmeal, Polenta Bianca has a more delicate flavor than yellow polenta and provides the ideal neutral foundation for the richness and salinity of slow-cooked stockfish.
Ingredients
For the Stockfish
2½ lb dried stockfish, preferably Ragno-quality
1½ lb yellow onions, very thinly sliced
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2½ cups whole milk
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt, only if necessary
For the Silky Vicentina Sauce
Reserved onion and cooking mixture
1/2 cup warm whole milk, if needed
2–3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Polenta Bianca
2 cups white cornmeal, preferably stone-ground Italian mais bianco
7–8 cups water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Rehydrate the Stockfish
Place the dried stockfish in a large container and completely cover with cold water.
Refrigerate for 48–72 hours, changing the water approximately every 8–12 hours.
Once fully rehydrated, drain thoroughly.
Remove the backbone, large bones, fins, and excessively tough membranes.
Keep the skin attached whenever possible.
The natural collagen contained in the skin contributes important body to the sauce.
Cut the stockfish into generous portions approximately 3 inches wide.
2. Prepare the Onion and Anchovy Base
Heat approximately 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a wide heavy-bottomed casserole over very low heat.
Add the thinly sliced onions.
Cook slowly for approximately 30 minutes.
The onions should become extremely soft and sweet, developing only the lightest golden color.
They should never become deeply caramelized.
Add the anchovy fillets.
Allow them to dissolve completely into the onions.
Add the finely chopped parsley.
Cook for another minute.
Remove approximately one-third of the onion mixture and reserve separately.
3. Prepare the Stockfish
Season the stockfish lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
Dust the pieces very lightly with flour.
Shake away all excess.
Sprinkle the flesh side with a restrained amount of Parmigiano Reggiano.
4. Briefly Sear the Stockfish
Heat approximately 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Place the stockfish skin-side down.
Cook for approximately 2–3 minutes, just long enough to tighten the exterior.
Turn carefully.
Cook the flesh side for only approximately 30 seconds.
Remove immediately.
This is not intended to create fried or heavily browned fish.
The objective is simply to help the portions maintain their structure during the long cooking process.
5. Assemble the Braise
Spread the remaining onion and anchovy mixture across the bottom of a wide heavy casserole.
Arrange the stockfish pieces closely together in a single layer.
Add the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano.
Pour in the whole milk.
Add enough extra-virgin olive oil for the cooking liquid to reach approximately three-quarters of the way up the fish.
Do not completely submerge the pieces.
6. Slow-Cook the Stockfish
Place the casserole over extremely low heat.
Bring the liquid gradually to the gentlest possible simmer.
The traditional concept of “pipare” remains fundamental.
The sauce should barely move.
Cook for approximately 3–3½ hours.
Never allow the liquid to boil aggressively.
Do not stir the fish with a spoon.
Instead, gently rotate or shake the casserole periodically.
If necessary, add a small amount of warm milk during cooking.
7. Remove the Stockfish at Perfect Tenderness
Once the stockfish is completely tender but still retains its structure, carefully remove each portion with a wide spatula.
Transfer to a warm tray.
This is the critical difference in this interpretation.
The fish stops cooking while we independently perfect the sauce.
8. Prepare the Silky Vicentina Sauce
Combine the cooking liquid remaining in the casserole with the reserved onion and anchovy mixture.
Simmer gently for approximately 5–8 minutes.
Transfer approximately two-thirds of the mixture to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
While blending, slowly incorporate 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
Add a small amount of warm milk if necessary.
Pass through a fine-mesh strainer.
Return the sauce to very low heat.
Add 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Taste before adding any salt.
Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
The sauce should be pale, glossy, intensely savory, and fluid enough to flow naturally from a spoon.
9. Finish the Stockfish
Return the portions of stockfish to the finished sauce.
Spoon a small amount over each piece.
Warm for approximately 5 minutes over extremely low heat.
Do not boil.
Remove from the heat and allow the dish to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
Traditional Polenta Bianca
10. Cook the White Polenta
Bring 7 cups water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Add the salt.
Slowly pour the white cornmeal into the water in a steady stream while whisking continuously.
Once all the cornmeal has been incorporated, reduce the heat to very low.
Switch to a wooden spoon.
Cook for approximately 45–60 minutes, stirring frequently.
If the polenta becomes excessively thick before the cornmeal is completely cooked, gradually incorporate additional hot water.
The final consistency should be soft, creamy, and flowing.
White polenta should retain its delicate corn flavor rather than becoming excessively enriched.
11. Finish the Polenta
Remove from the heat.
Add:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Stir vigorously until smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Keep warm until immediately before plating.
Professional Plating
Spoon the soft Polenta Bianca onto a warm shallow plate and extend it naturally into a low, elegant bed.
Do not create a tall mound.
Place one intact portion of Baccalà alla Vicentina over the polenta.
Spoon the silky Vicentina sauce around the fish and allow only a small amount to coat its surface.
The stockfish itself should remain clearly visible.
Finish with a few drops of excellent extra-virgin olive oil and an extremely restrained amount of finely chopped parsley.
The presentation should be elegant but unmistakably Venetian:
soft white polenta, tender stockfish, silky ivory sauce, excellent olive oil.
No unnecessary garnish is required.
Chef Tips
Use Real White Cornmeal
Polenta Bianca is not ordinary yellow polenta made paler with dairy.
It is produced from white corn and has its own delicate flavor and texture.
Keep the Polenta Soft
For this preparation, the polenta should function almost like a second sauce.
A stiff block of polenta changes the entire experience of the dish.
Preserve the Fish
Removing the stockfish when it reaches perfect tenderness prevents the portions from disintegrating while the sauce is being finished.
Emulsify, Do Not Thicken
The Vicentina sauce should obtain its body from onions, milk, collagen, olive oil, and reduction.
Do not turn it into a flour-thickened cream sauce.
Do Not Boil
Both the traditional preparation and this reinterpretation depend on extremely gentle heat.
The baccalà should pipare, never aggressively simmer.
Wine Pairing
Breganze Vespaiolo DOC — Veneto
The natural acidity and freshness of Vespaiolo make it an excellent regional pairing.
Its bright character cleans the palate after the richness of the olive oil and milk while allowing the delicate flavor of the stockfish to remain dominant.
Alternative: Soave Classico DOC
A quality Garganega-based Soave Classico provides citrus, minerality, white flowers, and subtle almond notes that work beautifully with both the stockfish and Polenta Bianca.
Chef Gianluca’s Recommendation
In this interpretation, Polenta Bianca is not simply a side dish.
It is part of the architecture of the plate.
Its delicate flavor absorbs the Vicentina sauce without competing with the stockfish, while its soft texture connects the fish and sauce in every bite.
Keep the polenta intentionally simple.
Do not overload it with cheese or cream.
The richness already comes from the Baccalà alla Vicentina.
The refinement comes from controlling each component separately: cook the stockfish until perfectly tender, remove it, finish the sauce independently, prepare the Polenta Bianca at the last moment, and bring everything together only on the plate.
The flavors remain unmistakably those of Veneto.
The technique makes them more precise.
Chef Gianluca
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