Crostini con Baccalà e Polenta
Golden grilled polenta slices topped with creamy whipped stockfish, the quintessential cicchetto snack served across Venetian bàcari.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Baking tin
- •Cast iron griddle pan
- •Electric hand mixer or wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring the salted water to a steady boil in a heavy saucepan.
- 2
Pour in the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- 3
Simmer on low heat for forty minutes, stirring frequently until thick.
- 4
Spread the hot polenta into an oiled rectangular tin to set.
- 5
Cool completely until firm, then cut into neat bite-sized squares.
- 6
Poach the soaked stockfish in milk with the garlic and bay leaf for twenty minutes.
- 7
Drain the warm fish thoroughly and discard the poaching liquid.
- 8
Beat the warm fish vigorously while trickling in olive oil until creamy and pale.
- 9
Heat a dry cast iron griddle until smoking hot.
- 10
Grill the polenta squares for three minutes on each side until charred lines appear.
- 11
Top each hot polenta square with a generous spoonful of whipped baccalà.
- 12
Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Chef's tips
Let the polenta chill completely in the fridge before cutting so the squares keep sharp edges on the grill. Beat the fish while it is still warm to create a smooth, glossy emulsion with the olive oil.
Ingredient substitutions
- soaked stockfish → soaked salt cod, though the flavour is milder and less traditional than air-dried stockfish
- coarse cornmeal → instant polenta, cooked for five minutes if short on time
Storage
Store the whipped stockfish and grilled polenta separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat the polenta on a hot griddle until crisp and serve the baccalà at cool room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Grilling the polenta while it is still soft, which makes the squares crumble on the griddle.
- •Using a harsh, bitter olive oil that overpowers the delicate fish flavour.
- •Letting the poached fish go cold before whipping, which prevents a fluffy emulsion.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Crostini con Baccalà e Polenta?
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