Neapolitan Salt Cod with Tomato, Gaeta Olives and Capers | Baccalà alla Napoletana
Baccalà alla napoletana is the salt cod of the Neapolitan Christmas Eve, and one of the most loved fish dishes of Naples all year round. Thick pieces of soaked cod are dusted with flour and fried until golden, then finished in a quick sauce of San Marzano tomatoes with Gaeta olives, capers, garlic and parsley. The fried crust soaks up the sauce while the flesh inside stays moist and opens in large, pearly flakes. This version follows the Neapolitan home method and brings to it the control of a restaurant kitchen: a precise soak, exact frying temperatures and fish cooked just to the point.
Yield: 6 servings. Prep: 30 minutes, plus 2 to 3 days of soaking. Cook: 35 minutes. Rest: 5 minutes. Course: secondo piatto. Region: Campania.
The Story
Baccalà is cod that has been salted and dried, a way of preserving fish that allowed it to travel for months and reach the Mediterranean from the cold seas of the North Atlantic. It is not the same as stoccafisso, stockfish, which is cod dried in the wind without salt. In the south of Italy baccalà became a staple of the meatless days of the Catholic calendar, when the Church prescribed fish, and of the poor, who could keep it in the pantry without spoiling.
Naples adopted baccalà with a passion that has never faded. The city has its baccalaioli, the shops where salt cod is sold already soaked, kept under running water in basins of marble or stone and cut to order. On Christmas Eve the Neapolitan table is built on fish, and baccalà is one of its pillars, fried in pieces as an antipasto, dressed in salad with olives and peppers, or cooked in tomato as it is here.
The sauce brings together three great ingredients of the Campanian pantry and its neighbors. The tomatoes are San Marzano, protected as Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP, long and fleshy, grown in the volcanic soil between Naples and Salerno. The olives are from Gaeta, on the coast of southern Lazio, small, purple-black olives of the Itrana variety, tender and slightly tart, which have been sold in Naples for generations. The capers bring the sharp, floral note that Neapolitan cooks love with fish.
Every family has its own version. Some skip the frying and cook the cod directly in the sauce, some add pine nuts and raisins, some finish the dish in the oven. The method followed here, fried and then simmered, is the classic one of the Neapolitan home, and it gives the best of both worlds: the savor of the golden crust and the softness of fish poached in tomato. This recipe keeps that tradition and adds precision at every step.
Ingredients
Buy thick center-cut salt cod fillet, white and firm, at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick; thin tail pieces and shredded cod fall apart in the sauce. Italian and Portuguese markets in the United States sell good salt cod, and some fishmongers sell it already soaked. For the tomatoes, choose whole peeled San Marzano DOP tomatoes, and check for the DOP mark and the consortium label on the can. Gaeta olives are sold in Italian delis; if you cannot find them, use another small, tender black olive cured in brine. Salt-packed capers have a better flavor than capers in vinegar, but they must be rinsed well.
For the salt cod
Salt cod fillet, thick center cut, 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) weight after soaking
All-purpose flour, for dredging, 1/2 cup (60 g)
Extra virgin olive oil or pure olive oil, for shallow frying, 1 cup (240 ml)
For the sauce
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Garlic, 2 cloves, lightly crushed
Dried chili, crumbled, 1 small pinch
Whole peeled San Marzano DOP tomatoes, 28 oz (800 g)
Gaeta olives, whole or pitted, 3/4 cup (100 g)
Salt-packed capers, rinsed and soaked, 2 tbsp (20 g)
Flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, 3 tbsp (12 g)
Fine sea salt, only if needed
For the finish
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling, 1 tbsp (15 ml)
Flat leaf parsley leaves, a few
Country bread, toasted, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Soak the salt cod. Rinse the cod under cold running water to remove the surface salt, cut it into 6 pieces of about 5 1/2 oz (160 g) each and place them in a large bowl of cold water, skin side up, in the refrigerator. Change the water three times a day for 2 to 3 days, depending on the thickness. Taste a small piece of raw flesh from the thickest part after 48 hours: it should be pleasantly savory, like a well seasoned fish, never salty. Soaking rehydrates the flesh and draws out the salt, and the refrigerator keeps the fish safe while it does.
Step 2
Prepare the cod. Lift the pieces from the water and run your fingertips over them to find and remove any bones with tweezers. Leave the skin on: it holds the flakes together during frying and simmering, and its gelatin enriches the sauce. Lay the pieces on a rack over a tray, pat them very dry with paper towels on every side and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. A dry surface is the condition for a crisp crust and for oil that does not spit.
Step 3
Make the tomato sauce. Crush the tomatoes by hand into a bowl, removing any hard cores. Warm the olive oil with the garlic and the chili in a wide, shallow pan over low heat until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold, about 3 minutes, then remove the garlic. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened slightly and lost its raw taste. Do not salt it yet: the cod, the olives and the capers will all bring salt.
Step 4
Fry the cod. Heat the frying oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F (175°C), about 1/2 inch (12 mm) deep. Dredge the cod pieces in the flour, tap off the excess so only a thin veil remains, and lay them in the oil skin side up. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once with a wide spatula, until the crust is golden and crisp. The inside should still be undercooked: the frying is for color and flavor, and the cooking will be finished in the sauce. Drain the pieces on a rack, not on paper, so the crust stays dry underneath.
Step 5
Add the olives and the capers. Stir the olives and the capers into the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, so they release their flavor into it. Taste the sauce now and add salt only if it really needs it; in most cases it does not. The sauce should be loose enough to come halfway up the sides of the fish, so add 2 to 3 tbsp of water if it has reduced too much.
Step 6
Finish the cod in the sauce. Nestle the fried pieces in the sauce in a single layer, skin side down, and spoon a little sauce over each one, leaving the golden top partly uncovered. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque at the center, begins to separate into large flakes when pressed and reaches 145°F (63°C) on a probe thermometer. Shake the pan gently from time to time instead of stirring, so the pieces stay whole.
Step 7
Rest and finish. Take the pan off the heat, scatter the chopped parsley over the fish and the sauce and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. During the rest the flakes relax and reabsorb their juices, and the sauce settles and becomes slightly thicker. Just before serving, add a thin thread of raw olive oil over each piece.
Plating
Warm deep plates or shallow bowls to about 140°F (60°C). Spoon a generous layer of sauce with olives and capers into the center of each plate, then lift a piece of cod onto it with a wide spatula, golden crust facing up, so the guest sees the contrast between the crisp top and the red sauce.
Spoon a few olives and capers around the fish, add two or three small parsley leaves on top and a drop of olive oil on the sauce. Serve with toasted country bread on the side, for the sauce. The dish can also be brought to the table in its pan, as Neapolitan families do on Christmas Eve, and served at the table.
Professional Technique
The key number is the salt in the flesh. Well soaked cod should keep a light, natural savor, about that of a fish seasoned with salt before cooking. Under-soaked cod makes the whole dish salty, and the olives and capers make it worse; over-soaked cod tastes flat and watery. Tasting a small piece after 48 hours, and every 12 hours after that, is the only reliable test. Thickness decides the time: a piece 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick usually needs about 48 hours, while very thick loins may need 72. Keep the water cold and plentiful, at least four times the weight of the fish, so the salt has somewhere to go.
The hidden variable is the two-stage cooking. The frying must color the crust without cooking the center, and the simmer must finish the center without softening the crust completely. That is why the cod goes into the sauce skin side down with its top partly uncovered, and why the simmer is short and gentle. The flour coating must be very thin as well: a heavy layer of flour turns into a soft, pasty film in the sauce, while a light veil gives a thin, golden crust that holds.
The doneness test is the flake. Press the thickest part of a piece with a finger: when it begins to separate into large, glossy flakes and the probe reads 145°F (63°C), the fish is done. One minute more and the flakes become dry and fibrous.
Salt and Moisture Control
The perfect piece of baccalà alla napoletana is golden on top, moist and pearly inside, and sits in a sauce that is savory but not salty. Salt and water are the two variables to control from the first day of soaking.
Dry the fish thoroughly before frying. Soaked cod holds a lot of water on its surface, and wet fish in hot oil spits, absorbs oil and steams instead of frying. The 30 minutes uncovered in the refrigerator make a real difference. Dredge the pieces only at the last moment before frying, because flour left on damp fish absorbs moisture and becomes gluey.
Season the sauce only at the end. Olives, capers and the cod itself all release salt into the tomato as they cook. Tasting the sauce after the olives and capers have simmered, and again before serving, is the only way to get the balance right.
Professional Mise en Place
The soaking starts days ahead and the sauce can be made the day before, so the cooking on the day takes about 20 minutes. Work in this order and keep the fish cold until it goes into the flour.
Equipment and tools
Large bowl for soaking, rack and tray, tweezers for the bones
Heavy skillet for frying, thermometer, wide spatula
Wide, shallow pan with a lid for the sauce
Probe thermometer, paper towels
Prepared ahead
Salt cod soaked for 2 to 3 days, water changed three times a day
Cod boned, portioned and dried, up to 4 hours ahead
Tomato sauce cooked, up to 1 day ahead, refrigerated
Capers rinsed and soaked, olives pitted if desired
Service setup
Flour in a shallow dish, frying oil at 350°F (175°C)
Sauce hot in the pan with olives and capers
Plates warmed, parsley, olive oil and toasted bread on the pass
Chef Tips
Buy thick pieces from the center of the fillet. They soak evenly, hold together in the pan and give the large, pearly flakes that make this dish elegant.
Soak the capers in cold water for 15 minutes after rinsing them, changing the water once. Salt-packed capers keep their aroma better than capers in vinegar, but they need a short soak to lose their excess salt.
Leave the pits in the Gaeta olives if you serve the dish at home. Whole olives keep their shape and flavor better in the sauce; just warn your guests.
Make the sauce with good olive oil and never let the garlic brown. The tomato sauce is short and simple, so every ingredient in it shows.
Common Mistakes
Soaking for too short a time. The cod stays salty and the dish is ruined. Taste the raw flesh and soak until it is pleasantly savory, not salty.
Soaking at room temperature. Soaked fish is perishable. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator for the whole soaking time.
Frying wet fish. The oil spits and the crust stays pale and soft. Dry the pieces carefully and let them air dry before dredging.
Frying too long. Fully cooked fried cod dries out when it simmers in the sauce. Fry only to color the crust.
Stirring the pan. The pieces break into shreds. Shake the pan gently and baste with a spoon.
Salting the sauce early. The olives, capers and cod all bring salt. Taste and adjust only at the end.
Using thin tail pieces. They overcook in seconds and fall apart. Choose thick center-cut fillet.
Wine Pairing
Fiano di Avellino DOCG: The great white of Campania, from the hills of Irpinia. Its body, its notes of pear, hazelnut and honey and its fresh acidity stand up to the fried crust and to the tomato, and its slight smokiness suits the savor of the cod. Serve at about 52°F (11°C).
Etna Bianco DOC: A volcanic white from Sicily, made mainly from Carricante. Its sharp acidity and saline finish cut through the oil of the frying and refresh the palate after the olives and capers. Serve at about 50°F (10°C).
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC: A deep pink wine made from Montepulciano, fresh and fruity, with enough structure for tomato. It is an excellent bridge between fish and red sauce. Serve at about 54°F (12°C).
Etna Rosso DOC: For guests who want a red, a light, elegant Nerello Mascalese with red fruit, fine tannins and fresh acidity. Its low tannins do not clash with the fish, and its acidity matches the tomato. Serve slightly cool, at about 58°F (14°C).
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: keep the cooked baccalà in its sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days, cooled to room temperature within 1 hour. The crust softens, but the flavor deepens, and many Neapolitans prefer it the next day. Freezer: not recommended, because the flakes become dry and stringy after thawing. Soaked raw cod keeps in fresh water in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
Reheat in a covered pan over low heat with 2 to 3 tbsp of water for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently, until the center of the fish reaches 165°F (74°C). Avoid the microwave, which toughens the flakes. Leftover baccalà in sauce, flaked and loosened with a little pasta water, is also an excellent dressing for spaghetti or paccheri.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 6 servings:
Calories: 390 kcal
Total Fat: 23 g
Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 90 mg
Sodium: 1,150 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 3 g
Total Sugars: 4 g
Added Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 32 g
Principal micronutrients: vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, lycopene
These figures are estimates, calculated on the quantities listed and rounded to the nearest whole number, assuming that part of the frying oil stays in the pan and excluding the bread. The sodium varies widely with how long the cod is soaked.
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