Baccalà alla Vicentina (Slow-Cooked Salt Cod)

Baccalà

• 800 g Salted cod, skinless, bone-in or boneless
• 250 ml Whole milk
• 2 medium Yellow onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 6 pieces Anchovy fillets
• 120 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• ½ tsp Fine sea salt
• 15 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Polenta

• 250 g Polenta

1. Rinse the salted cod well, then soak it in plenty of cold water for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water 3 to 4 times. Drain, pat dry, and remove any obvious bones if needed. Cut into large pieces so it stays intact during the long braise.
2. Thinly slice the onion, finely chop the garlic, and chop the parsley. Roughly chop the anchovy fillets so they melt easily into the sauce. Keep the cod chilled while you prep.
3. Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven over low heat, then add the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until very soft but not coloured. Stir in the garlic and anchovies and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the anchovies dissolve. Add the black pepper.
4. Lay the cod pieces in the pot in a single layer as much as possible, then pour in the milk. Bring just to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat to very low so the surface barely trembles. Cover and cook for 2 hours, gently shaking the pot now and then rather than stirring, until the fish is tender and flakes easily.
5. Taste the sauce and add the remaining salt only if needed, bearing in mind the cod and anchovies. Stir in most of the parsley, reserving a little to finish. Keep the pot on the lowest heat while you cook the polenta.
6. Bring 1 litre of water to a simmer in a saucepan and whisk in the polenta in a steady stream. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 30 to 40 minutes until thick and soft. Spoon into bowls and top with the baccalà and its sauce, finishing with the reserved parsley.

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