Snack · 40 min · italian

Baccalà Mantecato

Salt cod does the heavy lifting here, with olive oil rounding it out. An Italian snack that takes 40 minutes, start to finish. The macros do the talking: 2g protein, 10g carbs, and 42g fat in every 412-calorie serving. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1 lb Salt cod
• 1 cup Olive oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/4 cup Fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Polenta
• 1 Bay leaf

Steps

1. Soak the salt cod in cold water in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water 3 times. This is non-negotiable — under-soaked baccalà is inedibly salty.
2. Poach the cod gently in the milk with the bay leaf for 15 minutes, until it flakes easily. Drain, reserving a little milk.
3. Beat the warm cod with a wooden spoon — or a stand mixer on low — drizzling in the olive oil a thread at a time, exactly like making mayonnaise.
4. Keep beating until the cod turns pale, fluffy, and spreadable. Loosen with spoonfuls of the warm milk if it seizes. Fold in the minced garlic, parsley, and lemon.
5. Cook the polenta thick, spread it in a pan, cool, and cut into squares. Grill or toast until crisp at the edges.
6. Serve the whipped baccalà at room temperature on the warm polenta crostini with extra parsley.

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