Stockfish Dip, or Mantecato alla Veneziana: So what to serve for San Valentino? Among the standard suggestions one finds oysters, truffles, caviar, crustaceans (especially lobster), and chocolaty delights. Stockfish is dried cod, and it looks like a piece of wood. An unusual thing to think of come Valentine's Day, but if properly prepared it can be quite sensual.
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 18 ounces (a half kilo) of stoccafisso
- Olive oil
- A clove of garlic
- A tablespoon or two of finely minced parsley
- A soft cornmeal polenta
Preparation:
Assuming there are six at table, not far from three bedrooms, you will need a 18 ounces (a half kilo) of stoccafisso, well pounded to break down the fibers and soaked in cold water until it has softened (use a flat-faced meat pounder to avoid ruining the stoccafisso, and soak it in cool water for 3-5 days, changing the water 3 times per day). Once the stoccafisso is soaked, put it in a pot of cold water, bring the pot to a boil, and simmer it for 20 minutes. Remove the fish from the water, let it cool, and then remove the skin and the bones; flake the fish and press the flakes between a couple of dishtowels to dry them.The next step is to grind the stoccafisso, an operation that will require mortar and pestle; put some of the fish in the mortar, add a few drops of olive oil, and grind the mixture with the pestle, spreading the fibers out across the sides of the mortar. The grinding will require 20 minutes per batch, and when you are done the fish will be reduced to a creamy paste. Rub the inside of a round-bottomed bowl with a clove of garlic and put the paste in it; take a wooden spoon and beat the fish while adding more olive oil in a thin stream; Mr. Cerini di Castagnate says that at the most you will be able to incorporate 2/3 cup of oil, and to stop adding oil when the fish stops absorbing it. He also says that it will emulsify better if you finish beating the oil in while heating the bowl over a double boiler, and that many prefer their mantecato warm. Once you have beaten in the oil, tradition dictates that you add a tablespoon or two of finely minced parsley, though some prefer a clove of finely minced garlic instead. Don't overdo the latter, however.
At this point your Venetian masterpiece is ready; serve it with a soft polenta made from white cornmeal; if white cornmeal is not available where you live polenta made from regular cornmeal will work too.
A note: There's no need to wait for Valentine's Day to enjoy this! While it would be a nice way to set the stage for a sensual interlude, it is also a superb antipasto, and will work very well as a dip too. Last thing: You can also use baccalà.
