The Baccala Project

1. I use every pot and pan that’s in the kitchen

2. I have everything out on the counter at once

3. I play Frank Sinatra (or any big band, swing, or jazz music) while I cook

4. There is at least 1 epic spill that occurs (ie- like the vegetable oil down my sleeve)

5. I constantly eat (or as I see it ‘taste’) what I’m cooking, no matter if there’s raw eggs

And finally, mix well. Add oil and red wine vinegar to taste. Cover and set in the fridge. The salad marinates overnight, ready for dinner the next day. My family eats at 4 or 5:00 on Christmas Eve. 

In my case, I’m packing in a gallon glass mason jar. My concern with the jar is getting the salad out. The top is narrow and I was taking this into consideration when I was piecing apart the vinegar peppers. We’ll see how it goes…

Tip: you can always add oil or red wine vinegar the next day if needed, even right before dinner.

Rinse flake rinse flake taste rinse flake flake flake rinse.

The most important step for me is taste. All the ingredients in the salad bring in a distinct flavor whether it’s the acid in the peppers or the saltiness of the olives. You don’t want the fish to be salty, you want it to be light. The other ingredients will take care of the ‘punch’ when it all gets mixed and marinates overnight.

Normally, flaking the fish takes alot of time. Last year, it took me a half hour. This year it took a shocking 15 minutes! Take your time to find the bones, they’re small, sometimes splintery. I was lucky there were hardly any bones and it was effortless to pick apart. I must of got a really great one this year.

Tip: the salt hides between the flakes closer to the inside

Surprisingly, the cod cooks pretty quickly. I use the same pot that it soaks in which makes it super easy. It’s just the right size and helps if you don’t have an army of pots.

I empty out all the salty water, remove the fish, and rinse the pot. The filets are put back in the pot in reverse order (from the way they soaked). The pot is then filled with cold water so that all the filets are submerged and is brought to a boil.

The most valuable piece of advice I can give you is do not leave the kitchen. If you’re in the kitchen you can keep a close watch. Something to do while you’re waiting is chop the garlic and the celery.

The evening of Day 3, I made sure to work in prep time for the peppers and olives. I was working an earlier shift so it made perfect sense. That way on the last day all I had to focus on was cooking and flaking the fish and putting it all together.

Day 3 of soaking the cod. Looks pretty clean and white, the water is clear and almost all the salt has been washed away.

Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain….

Large amounts of content to download (or is it upload) to the computer from the trusty iPhone. I intend to deliver the full experience. Sorry, I’ll be the only one eating the Baccala. You can voice any complaints to 1-800-Baccala

My refrigerator is currently packed with bowls of olives and peppers. I captured a large amount of video, photo, and audio tonight while I prepped the cod’s “accompaniments.”

Double chocolate cookies are done and packed. 

3 bags of crushed ice are ready to go. 

1 more day of the soak. 

Making 1 more trip tomorrow to Trader Joe’s for the cold-insulated bag and Shaw’s for the extra light olive oil (had to wait for my paycheck to clear). 

I’m nervous for tomorrow night. It’s the first time I’m flaking the fish by myself…

There’s a suspicious odor coming from under my sink….

Obviously, the scrubbing bubbles aren’t working. Let’s pour some baking soda into the drain!

Hope my neighbors don’t think there’s a dead body in my apartment. If there was, it would be my landlord’s for not fixing the heat in the building. 90 degrees…happening right now.