Baccalà Mantecato

Name: Baccalà Mantecato
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Veneta
Ingredients: 500 g soaked stockfish; 1 piece Bay leaf; 1 clove Garlic; 100 ml mild extra virgin olive oil; 80 ml sunflower seed oil; 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp White pepper; 350 g firm cooked polenta

A classic Venetian spread of poached stockfish whipped vigorously with oil into an airy, pale cream. In Venice, baccalà denotes dried stockfish, served here over charred polenta.

🇮🇹Italy· Veneto

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g soaked stockfish — stoccafisso previously soaked for several days, skin and spine removed
1 piece Bay leaf — dried
1 clove Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed
100 ml mild extra virgin olive oil — use a delicate, non-bitter variety like Garda or Ligurian
80 ml sunflower seed oil — keeps the emulsion light without overpowering the fish
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
½ tsp Fine sea salt — adjust to taste
¼ tsp White pepper — freshly ground
350 g firm cooked polenta — traditional Venetian white polenta or yellow, sliced into thick rectangles

Equipment

•Saucepan
•Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
•Grill pan
•Colander
•Chef's knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 410 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 22 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 28 g
calories: 410 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the soaked stockfish chunks, bay leaf, and crushed garlic into a medium saucepan.
2
Cover with cold water, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 25 minutes until the flesh flakes easily.
3
Drain the fish thoroughly in a colander, reserving 60 ml of the hot poaching liquid.
4
Discard the bay leaf and garlic clove, then pick through the fish to remove any small pin bones.
5
Transfer the warm flaked fish directly into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
6
Beat the warm fish on medium speed until the fibres break down into a fine, shredded paste.
7
Combine the olive oil and sunflower oil in a measuring jug.
8
Drizzle the oil blend into the mixer in a slow, steady stream while beating continuously to form an emulsion.
9
Add a few tablespoons of the warm reserved poaching liquid to loosen the mixture into a creamy, pale spread.
10
Season with fine sea salt and white pepper, then fold in the chopped parsley.
11
Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat and grill the polenta slices until crisp with dark char marks.
12
Spoon generous mounds of the warm or room-temperature whipped fish over the hot grilled polenta and serve.

Chef's tips

Always whip the fish while it is still warm from the poaching pot; cold stockfish will not absorb the oil properly and will fail to emulsify. A blend of neutral oil and mild olive oil ensures a light texture without bitter notes.

Ingredient substitutions

Soaked stockfish → well-desalted salt cod (baccalà salato), though the texture will be slightly softer
White polenta → firm yellow polenta or toasted slices of rustic sourdough bread

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Do not reheat with direct heat as the oil will split; bring to room temperature before serving on hot polenta.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Allowing the stockfish to cool completely before whipping, which causes the emulsion to split.
•Using an intense, peppery extra virgin olive oil that overwhelms the sweet, delicate flavour of the stockfish.
•Discarding all the hot poaching broth before setting aside some liquid to adjust the final texture.

Serving suggestions

Serve as a classic bàcaro cicheto on hot grilled white polenta alongside an ombra (small glass of Venetian white wine).Spoon onto crisp crostini as part of a traditional Venetian antipasto spread.