Baccalà in zimino
Salt Cod Simmered in Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 1 kilo 2 lbs salt cod
- Flour q.b.
For the zimino:
- 1 kilo 2 lbs Swiss chard
- 500-600 g 1 to 1-1/3 lb cherry tomatoes, split in half
- 1 medium onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- A few sprigs of parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- A pinch of dried red pepper optional
Instructions
Preparing the salt cod
- The night before, rinse the salt cod and immerse it in a large bowl of water. Soak overnight, changing the water at least once.
- Remove the cod and pat it dry. Cut it into serving pieces.
- Lightly flour the salt cod pieces, then shallow fry them in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
Prepping the Swiss chard
- Trim the Swiss chard of its stems, then parboil the leaves in abundant well salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, rinse quickly under cold water, then pat them dry.
- Cut the leaves into thin strips.
Preparing the zimino sauce
- Cut the onion and celery into chunks. Then chop them together with the garlic and parsley until you have a very fine, almost paste-like mince.
- In a braiser or sauté pan large enough to contain all the cod pieces in a single layer, sauté the mince in abundant olive oil until it is quite soft. (At this point, add a pinch of red pepper flakes if using.)
- Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes, until they begin to wilt, perhaps 3-5 minutes. Then add the Swiss chard, give it a turn and let it sauté gentle for a minute or two with the tomatoes. Add a ladleful of the chard's cooking water, cover partially and simmer for another 10 minutes or a bit longer, until the chard is fully tender. Add more water from time to time if needed to keep things moist.
Finishing the dish
- Gingerly lay the cod fish pieces on top of the tomato and Swiss chard. Add another ladleful of water to the pan. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until the fish is tender and heated through.
- Serve right away.