Salt cod casserole with celeriac
( Baccalà con sedano rapa )

Recipe for salt cod with celeriac

Preparation and cooking

• - Prepare salt cod.
  Soak salt cod, cut into large pieces, in a bowl of cold water for 24 hours, taking care all pieces are all covered by the liquid.
  Change many times.
• - Boil salt cod.
  After this time, drain fish pieces very well and put them in a pot with the amount of cold water enough to cover them.
  Bring to a boil.
  Then lower heat and continue boiling for 15 minutes.
  Drain fish and put cooking water apart.
  Remove its skin and cut its flesh into medium pieces.
• - Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F).
• - Boil potatoes and celeriac.
  Peel potatoes. Peel celeriac and cut it into not too thin slices.
  Cook all these vegetables in the cooking water of salt cod until half cooked.
  Drain well potatoes and celeriac slices.
  Slice potatoes.
  Put apart all vegetables and cooking water.
• - Cook onions.
  Slice onion finely.
  Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a ladle of the water in which you have cooked your salt cod and onion in a pan.
  Cook over low heat until all liquid is well reduced.
• - Prepare ingredients in the casserole.
  Put 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large casserole, preferably earthenware.
  Gently place the pieces of cod. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.
  Add marjoram too.
  Pour in wine too.
  Cover fish with potato and celeriac slices.
  Make a last layer with onions.
  Remember to add some pieces of bay leaf in the last layers.
• - Baking.
  Bake for about 15 minutes.
  Remove your casserole from the oven and add the water where you have cooked first fish and then vegetables, to cover.
  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  Put in the oven again and bake until all cooking juice is well reduced.

Just before serving

• - Remove from the oven and serve directly in the casserole.

Note

Tips

• - Add no salt for salt cod is already salty.
• - Celeriac helps to flavor this cod dish and increases its digestibility.
• - You can cook soaked cod in water and milk for a more delicate taste.

Menu planning

• - Salt cod with celeriac is a great dish for your family menu but it can be the main dish in a full menu too as long as its portions are smaller.

What's the right wine for " Salt cod casserole with celeriac "?

We drank Muller-Thurgau (an aromatic white wine of Trentino - Italy) with our friend when she prepared this dish. We enjoyed this salt cod dish very much pairing this wine.