It's nearly Christmas, and it's time to get going for the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. PBS-TV host Lidia Bastianich stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to give her take on how to create the best Christmas dinner possible. She told Tonia that there's a number of creations she whips up. One of which, is a delicious Baccala Mantecato (or cod spread) that she makes as an antipasti. Lidia says making a proper Feast of the Seven Fishes doesn't have to be too difficult, but she has some tips to make it the best it can be. Among them, start early...like a few days before you serve it. For more on creating the feast, click on this link
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salt cod
- 1 medium russet potato
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ c. light cream
- ½ c. poaching water from baccala
Directions
- Soak the salt cod overnight in a large bowl of cold water, changing the water often, to remove the excess salt. Cut the cod into 6-inch pieces and put them in a saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil and cook the salt cod for about 20 minutes, until it just begins to flake. Do not let the fish break apart. Remove the cod to a colander to drain and cool.
- Meanwhile, rinse the russet potato, but leave it whole and unpeeled. Cook the potato in its skin until it is cooked through and easily pierced with a knife. Let it cool, and then peel the skin away with the back side of a knife.
- Set up a food processor with steel knife blade. Put in the cooked salt cod and pulse it a few times to break up the fish. Add the minced garlic and pulse a few more times. Add the potato and light cream and turn the food processor on. Puree the mixture while adding the olive oil in a thin stream. If the mixture is too dense, thin it with some of the cod poaching liquid. Season with freshly ground pepper. The baccala is best served warm as a spread for grilled country bread or crostini, or even as a dip for crudités.
