You're Probably Never Going to Make this . . .

But I wish you would give it a try. 
Soccafisso is a dish that was pervasive at La Taverna dell' Coleonni when I was working there.  As dude from the midwest, I didn't have much exposure to bacalao growing up, but I did take to it pretty quickly once I got a taste.   This dish rustles up a lot of memories for me, I love it and I think you will too.
On a side note, you should give this book a read if you haven't already.  It's a surprisingly interesting story of the history

Having to soak the salted fish makes this seem like a long process, but really you just have to plan ahead.  Also, where there is a market for it, you can sometimes find bacalao that has been presoaked. 

A salt cod emporium in Lisbon.

2 lbs dried Salt Cod (follow the preparations below)
1 lb. white onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsps all purpose flour
1 qt. whole milk
2 bay leaves, fresh if possible

To prepare the salt cod
1. Rinse the fish under cold running water.  In a large clean vessel, submerge it water and place it in the fridge over night.  In the morning, change out the water, and then again at night.  Repeat this whole process for one more day.  (two days and two nights total)  You might be able to buy salted cod that is pre-soaked, if so you can skip this step. 
2.  Bring a large pot of water to a simmer.  Poach the fish for 30 minutes in the simmering water. (note that there is no salt added here) The fish should be tender to bite through. 
3.  Pick through the cooked filets and make sure there are no bones. 

Be careful to not break up the flakes too much. They will breakdown further from the stirring during cooking.

For the Stoccafisso
1. Set a heavy bottomed stock pot over medium meat.  Add the olive oil and let it get nice and warm. 
2. Add the onions along with the bay leaves and stir. Cook until the onions have become slightly translucent - about 8-10 minutes.

I have a little laurel tree in my yard where I score my bay leaves.  I make little tears down each side to release more aroma.

3.  Add the flour and stir it in well.  Cooking for another 2-5 minutes. 
4. Add the prepared salt cod to the mix and add enough milk to just barely cover the fish - this probably will not require the whole quart.
5. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often.  The sauce should thicken. Make sure that it DOES NOT scald to the pan. If it does, DO NOT scrape it up and stir it in.  Instead, transfer to a new pot to continue cooking. 
***At this point be sure to test it for salt. ***
6. To finish the stoccafisso, transfer it to a casserole dish.  Cover with a copious amount of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a nice olive oil.  Stick it under a broiler for long enough to get golden brown. 


Serve with soft polenta.  

A Big Project

I've been blazing through a Japanese food phase.  I love the simple flavors, and many of the preparations are simple, approachable, and outstandingly yummy.
Of course the questions that naturally follow - for me anyways - are,"How can I create this food from my farmers market? How can I make these ingredients from scratch - cutting out the "middleman"?"
Blah, blah, blah . . .
Fast forward, I'm staring at a cabinet full of dried beans from the farmers market.  Purchased with the good intention of making my own miso.  As with many other projects, I do not fully research the process until I am part of the way into it.
It turns out red miso takes at least 12-18 months to be fully ready, and many miso makers will leave it to develop for much longer.  [There is sweet white miso that is ready after 3-6 months] Miso making is an ancient process refined by skilled artisans; or the "middlemen" in this scenario.  It turns out they're there for a reason in some cases.

Nevertheless, I'm diving in head first in this one.  After fairly extensive, if late, research - I settled on  this book for guidance. 

Despite the 80's workout theme, this is an awesome book.  It has guided me through many funky smelling endeavors.

The process is simple . . . 
The beans are soaked overnight and boiled until they are soft.  They are then ground to the desired consistency, salted, and mixed with the koji - an inoculated grain - and finally packed away in a vessel to ferment of their own accord. 

From left to right, vinton soy beans, adzuki beans, and black soy beans.

Koji is an inoculated grain, rice in this case, used to spur the fermentation process.

The cooked vinton soy beans, cooked, partially ground and mixed with the koji.

The miso in its pots, where it will chillax for the next 18 months.

Check back in in 18 months to see how this whole thing turns out.

How to bread better

Last week I finally risked making chicken Milanese.  It turned out great, but the breading process left a king-hell mess. What can I do to tidy up this process?

Let me start by saying that clean up is part of this game.  No one knows it, or hates it, more than me. It's simply my love of cooking and eating that overcomes my distaste for dealing with the aftermath.

You can, however, take some steps to seriously limit the mess-making throughout the process, and yeild a better product as well. 

Here are some tips.

Use big bowls- you'll have more space to work in.  This contains the mess and let's one bread multiple pieces at a time.
Shake off the flour well- If there's a clump of flour, it's liable to break up after all is said and done.  You'll loose your breading and be left with a chuck of exposed flour.
Beat well and strain the eggs- Lightly tossing the eggs with a fork does not serve here.  I use a blender to thoroughly combine the eggs (and sometimes a little water).  Then I pour it through a fine sieve, this removes the gloppy albumen and lessens the clumps - making the wet step a little easier.
Keep a "dry hand"- I focus on keeping my right hand dry, touching only the flour and breadcrumbs with it.  With my left, I use a slotted spoon to fish stuff out of the egg wash and drain off the excess egg.
Don't bother seasoning the bread or flour - I find that for the amount of seasoning required, not enough of the flavor comes through.  In other words, it's wasteful.   The items that you're cooking should have enough seasoning in and of themselves. 

Pics From Italy

Recently I made a pilgrimage to Bergamo, the town in Italy that changed my cooking career.  Unfortunately my camera was lost or stolen halfway through the trip, so the remainder was shot on an iphone - hence the mediocre pics.