Baccalà alla Vicenza (Salt Cod Vicenza-Style)

February 3, 2026 By: Shaelan Donovan

Time: 30 minutes active time; 4 hours cooking time

For our second recipe to welcome the Milan Winter Games, we turn to the Italian baccala. Also known as bacalao or bacalhau, salt cod became popular in multiple European cultures because the fish is abundant and the salt preservation process endows a long shelf life. This iteration is served Vicenza-style, another city of Northern Italy. The cod is cooked in a milk bath layered with a soffritto of onions and anchovies, then spooned over a generous pool of polenta. Though somewhat humble in appearance, this recipe packs comfort and flavor. Baccala arrives as a hard, dry, and thin fillet. Care should be taken to wash off the salt. Soak your cod for at least 24 hours, or up to 3-4 days, changing the water often, until the fillet is pliable and rehydrated. The fish will retain salt after soaking, so be judicious with salt during the cooking process. For more detailed instructions about soaking baccala, see our tutorial.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

Approximately 1 lb of baccala salt cod
1 large onion, chopped
2–3 marinated anchovies
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
Fresh or dried parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 lb dried polenta
4 cups milk
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Step 1

Soak the baccala in water. The soaking duration will depend on personal preference for saltiness, but plan for at least 2 days of soaking. We soaked ours for 6 days. Change the water at least once a day. Once soaking is complete, remove the fish and pat dry.

Step 2

Prepare your soffritto. In a skillet, add a generous amount of olive oil and half of your onion. Season the onion and begin to sweat it over medium-low heat. Stir or toss occasionally.

Step 3

When the onion in the skillet becomes translucent, add 2–3 anchovy fillets. Continue cooking until the onion begins to brown and the anchovies melt into the mixture. You may need to break up the fillets a bit with a spoon.

Step 4

While the onion cooks, cut your cod fillet into 3-inch cubes. Add the flour to a bowl and toss in the cod until the portions are lightly coated all around.

Step 5

Begin assembling your dish. Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with your soffritto mixture. Add your cod portions over the soffritto; if your fish does not fit in a single layer, continue to layer the soffritto and cod. Once complete, submerge everything in milk, then sprinkle on your parsley and a coating of parmesan.

Step 6

Bake low and slow in a 300°F oven for 1 hour. The dish should barely bubble as it cooks. For the last 45 minutes, increase the heat to 350°F.

Step 7

Before serving your cod, prepare your polenta. To a saucepan over medium-low heat, add a generous amount of oil and the remainder of your onion. Cook the onion for 10 minutes, then add milk and bring to a bare simmer. Once simmering, add your polenta and whisk. Lightly season with salt.

Step 8

Once the polenta is fully hydrated, spoon into your serving dish. Spoon your cooked baccala on top and enjoy.

Original price

Starting at $42.00

$42.00

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