Venetian Snack...or Delicacy

Baccalà Montecato can simply be translated as Cod Mousse or Cod Spread.
This wonderfully light and succulent spread makes for a delicious afternoon snack or, if you want to get fancy, you can even serve it as an hors d’oeuvre. In my family, this spread was usually given to a ravenous kid coming home from school. My mom would save a portion from the baccalà to be cooked for the main meal, and work it into a mousse. I would get to spread this delicious creamy froth on melba toasts or crusty bread- perfect to hold me over until suppertime.


My Venetian grandmother, with whom I spent all my summers with, used to serve this with Polenta. This was even tastier and, much more of a treat. But of course spoiling grandchildren is a Nonna’s specialty:) Delicious!


I didn’t know then, that some people could actually consider this a delicacy. To us, it was just a healthy snack to keep a pesky kid from nagging all the way to suppertime. And, by the way…I used to hate fish- so I guess this was also a way for my mom to serve up nutrition without me even knowing what I was eating. She would call it: 'un crostino alla cremina' (creamy toasted bread)- or 'Polentina alla crema' (Polenta and cream). A perfect snack actually.


Here’s a recipe that will make enough for 6 people:


-Boil ½ Kg. of cod (salt and pepper to taste…just remember that cod is naturally salty though).

-Peel the cod and rid of any scales.

-Add ½ glass of oil (about 4 to 5 oz.)

-Add the juice of one lemon

Here’s the fun part- Do it the old fashion Venetian way (You’ll need two medium sized soup bowls): Pour the mixture into one of the soup bowls, cover it with the other and then shake the bowls vigorously for about 3 min. You should obtain a creamy, frothy, delicious mousse.

Serve it with a sprinkle od chopped parsley and Enjoy!

Try it and let me know how you like it.