Baccala Livornese, an Italian dish made with salt cod and potatoes simmered in an aromatic tomato sauce, is a traditional Italian Christmas Eve recipe made for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
And while there are lots of other ways to incorporate salt cod into the annual feast, like crispy baccala fritters or light and fresh baccala salad, this baccala in tomato sauce seems to be the one that we just have to make every year.
– Baccala – Potatoes – Salt – Olive Oil – Celery
Then, soak it for 2 to 3 days to rehydrate it and pull most of the salt out of it. Immerse the baccala in cold water and refrigerate it, changing the water at least twice daily.
Once the baccala has finished soaking, rinse it under cold running water and cut it down into large chunks. Then prep and gather the remaining salad ingredients.
Par-cook the potatoes about 2/3 way in salted boiling water, then drain. Next, cook the celery, parsley, garlic, anchovy and crushed red pepper in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring a few times.