Filetti di baccalà (Fried Salt Cod Filets)

Frank23 December 2016mains/secondi piatti, Rome and Lazio38 Comments

During my years in Rome, I mostly lived on the small but charming piazza di san Paolo alla Regola, not too far from the famous Campo de’ Fiori and its mercato. Along the via dei Giubbonari on the way to the campo, where I usually bought my fruits and vegetables notwithstanding the astronomical prices, there was an unassuming restaurant called Dar Filettaro. In this Roman landmark, you would sit cheek by jowl with other customers—or, if you were lucky, outside in the tiny but lovely piazzetta, and feast on one of the pillars of Roman cuisine, filetti di baccalà, or Fried Salt Cod Filets. Hard to believe it’s taken me this long—and I started blogging in mid-2009—to get around to blogging about filetti di baccalà. Don’t ask why, there’s no real explanation. But better late than never…

It’s a dish that almost Franciscan in its austere simplicity, but you won’t be thinking about austerity while you’re enjoying filetti di baccalà. Far from it, the crusty batter fried in olive oil and the soft, savory fish inside are a sumptuous combination. Another excellent choice for Christmas Eve, as an alternative to capitone fritto, or Fried Eel. And as a fried dish, I’d think it would make a fine Hanukkah dish as well.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 large piece of baccalà, soaked for 24 hours, about 750g (1-1/2 lb)
Olive oil, for frying
Salt, for seasoning

For the pastella:

250g (1/2 lb) flour
Sparkling mineral water, q.b., roughly about 500 ml (2 cups)

Directions

At least 24 hours ahead of time, put the baccalà into a large basin with enough water to cover them amply. Change the water from time to time. About halfway through, when the baccalà is already pliable, cut it into long, slender fillets, perhaps about 7-8 cm/3 inches long and 4 cm/1-1/2 inches wide or so. This will speed up the process of softening and de-salting the fish (see Notes below).

At least 2 hours ahead, whisk together in a large bowl the flour and enough mineral water so you have a smooth, silky, liquid but fairly thick batter (about the consistency of a pancake batter, if you’re familiar with that.) Let it rest until you’re ready to cook.

Heat up a deep skillet with enough olive oil in to come up at least halfway up the side. Drain the salt cod fillets and pat them dry. Then, when the oil is hot enough, but not smoking hot. dip each fillet in the batter, then into the oil. Keep adding fillets but make sure not to crowd the skillet too much. Fry at a moderate heat, turning from time to time, until the fillets are golden brown on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes or so, but no more.

As your fillets are done frying, drain them on paper towels or on a baking rack. Serve them as soon as they’re all done, with lemon wedges if you like, and a light sprinkling of salt.

Notes on filetti di baccalà

The pre-soaking time for the baccalà will depend on how heavily salted and how dry it is. Overnight soaking is a good rule of thumb, but older recipes often call for a full 48 hours of soaking. On the other hand, some salt cod sold these days is lightly salted and still fairly moist. This kind of baccalà needs only a few hours’ soak. Best of all, if you live near a major Little Italy, you may be able to find pre-soaked baccalà, which eliminates any doubts and saves you great time and effort. But before you start frying, do make sure that the baccalà has softened completely, since it will only undergo minimal cooking. And taste it to make sure it is not still too salty. If so, keep soaking. And keep the changing the water or the fish will stay salty.

The batter

The ingredients that go into the batter can vary. This very basic one of just flour and water is the one they say is used at the iconic eponymous restaurant. Don’t be put off by its simplicity. It produces a light and crispy, very satisfying coating for your filetti. The mineral water and resting period produces a mild fermentation, which gives the batter flavor and some ‘lift’. The rest should last at least two hours, and some recipes allow for several hours.

Some recipes call for a pinch of yeast or baking soda for extra ‘lift’ and a much shorter rest. For today’s post, I used half regular flour and half self-rising flour, and the results were quite fine. Be careful not to overdo, however, or your batter will be just too puffy. The same can be said about beaten egg whites, which some recipes call for.

As for the liquid going into the batter, some recipes call for tap water, while others call for white wine or beer. Some recipes call for a drizzle of olive oil, and Ada Boni, whose Roman-ness is not subject to question, includes melted butter in her recipe for filetti di baccalà in Il Talismano.

The ratio of liquid to flour requires some judgment. Too little liquid and the batter will just be too thick and ponderous; too much liquid and the batter will be thin, and might even slip off the fillets. Personally, I like a batter that covers the fish well and adds a nice crunchy crust, but without dominating the fish. If in doubt, best to try to batter and fry one fillet and see if you like the results, then add more flour and liquid if need be. And although you might be tempted, don’t season the batter. You should only salt your filetti di baccalà when you’re ready to serve. That way the batter will stay nice and crisp.

Accompaniments

The classic Roman accompaniment to filetti di baccalà are a kind of chicory called puntarelle with a garlic and anchovy dressing. Unfortunately, puntarelle are not to be found Stateside, as far as I know, but I’ve come up with a mock puntarelle recipe made with hearts of chicory which at least provides a hint of the original. Otherwise, a properly dressed green salad would do nicely. Or perhaps some French fries for an Italian version of fish and chips?

Tips on Frying

Her are four tips for success when you’re frying filetti di baccalà or anything else:

Cooking Fat

Extravagant as it may seem these days, I think olive oil is the best cooking fat for frying any battered fish. I know they say olive oil supposedly loses its flavor when heated, but that’s not been my experience. Whether for frying or sautéing, olive oil lends a savor that no other cooking fat can. And filetti di baccalà are no exception, especially if you use a simple flour and water batter. And so long as you maintain proper temperature (see below), the relatively low smoke point (160C/320F) of commercial olive oil shouldn’t be a problem. (Higher quality olive oil has a much higher smoke point—as high as 207C/405F—but here in the US it commands prices that make it prohibitive for deep frying for most of us.)

But if you want to use another vegetable oil, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. Apparently the eponymous Roman restaurant uses vegetable oil—probably for economy. Canola oil is a practical if un-Italian choice, while sunflower oil is quite popular in Italy. And, as Ada Boni tells us in her recipe for filetti di baccalà, lard will work, too, odd as it may seem. Lard is marvelous as a frying fat. It is second to none for producing a crispy crust. If you ask me, lard is perhaps the best all-round fat for most frying, particularly if you enjoy its slightly “porky” flavor.

Temperature

The temperature of the oil needs to be just right. If the temperature is too low, you will wind up with soggy, greasy fillets. If it’s too high, you risk burning the outside of your filetti before the insides have fully cooked. You can judge the temperature by eye. You’ll see the oil moving and bubbling around your fillets in a lively but not violent fashion, as pictured above. If the oil should smoke, that’s a sure sign it’s overheated.

If you want to be ‘scientific’ about it, you can use a special purpose thermometer. A good moderate frying temperature is 180C/350F, although if you use commercial olive oil you’ll need to go a little lower, as mentioned above, to avoid smoking.

Maintaining the right frying temperature requires vigilance while you’re cooking. You shouldn’t be shy about adjusting the flame as you need to. Bear in mind that adding food to your frying pan will cause the temperature of the oil to drop, which brings me to my second point…

Spacing

You need to give your fillets (or whatever you’re frying) room, so the oil will have a chance to envelop and sear the food you’re frying. Otherwise, your fillets will steam instead of frying. Proper spacing is also key to maintain the right temperature. If you crowd the pan, the temperature of the oil will drop precipitously, and that is not a good thing. But if the frying pan is too empty, the oil tends to overheat. And again, the photo above will illustrate what I mean.

Draining

You should drain fried foods briefly before eating, either on a baking rack or on a plate lined with paper towels. This removes the excess fat and allows the super-hot fried fillets (or whatever you’ve fried) to cool off a bit. But then, just a bit. Fried foods are at their best when you eat them right away. As the Neapolitans say, frijenno manganno!—”fry it and eat it!” In a pinch, you can reheat fried foods, well spaced on a rack, on gentle heat in the oven for a few minutes, just long enough to heat them through. They won’t taste nearly as good as freshly fried, but it’s a practical approach to cooking for a crowd.

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