Recipe Mantecato Alla Veneziana: Salt Cod / Fresh Codfish Dip ..

Francesca

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This authentic historical spread or mousse or dip was originally prepared for The Lent Season in Venice, the day after The 1st Evening of The Carnival back in 1432, by Captain Querin, who returned from The Fjords with salt cod, where he learnt how to salt the large catch and keep it preserved on the lengthy voyage back to Venice ..

It originally was prepared with butter, however, today, many restaurants and bars prepare it with Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil .. or a combination of both ..

500 grams of salt cod or fresh cod
2 Minced garlic cloves
salt to taste
black freshly ground pepper to taste
1 clove aromatic ( optional )
a handful of fresh parsley minced
Evoo ( 2 tablesp. )
A knob of French style butter 82% butterfat
1 Medium Size Potato .. ( note: after 1500 - Pizarro - Peru )

1) Soak the salt cod overnight - changing the wáter 2 or 3 times if possible ..
2) If using fresh cod, wash, pat dry and soak in milk of choice for approx. 20 minutes and remove the skin and bones .. Place the shredded cod into a large glass bowl - when drained from all the milk.
3) Mince the garlic and the parsley and place in bowl ..
4) Place the knob of butter and Evoo very slowly and with a Stand Up Mixer, combine to a chunky dip texture. Now add a tiny clove .. or if you prefer the Mediterranean Herbs of Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Savory and Parsley very finely minced ..
5) Boil 1 potato and when tender, rinse with cold wáter, and peel skin .. Then diced finely and add to the fish bowl .. Combine with mixture .. Using a stand up Mixture ..
6) Adjust salt & pepper and adjust spices & herbs and cover, and place in refrig for 2 or 3 hours or overnight ..

Serve with Grissini and ass´t crackers .. and a lovely Prosecco ..

Enjoy ..

This is a historically documented récipe, however, one can add fennel or celery or shallot to their cod fish dip ..
 
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We have had a similar dish. I don't celebrate any religious holidays and don't recall when we had it.
 
This authentic historical spread or mousse or dip was originally prepared for The Lent Season in Venice, the day after The 1st Evening of The Carnival back in 1432, by Captain Querin, who returned from The Fjords with salt cod, where he learnt how to salt the large catch and keep it preserved on the lengthy voyage back to Venice ..

It originally was prepared with butter, however, today, many restaurants and bars prepare it with Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil .. or a combination of both ..

500 grams of salt cod or fresh cod
2 Minced garlic cloves
salt to taste
black freshly ground pepper to taste
1 clove aromatic ( optional )
a handful of fresh parsley minced
Evoo ( 2 tablesp. )
A knob of French style butter 82% butterfat
1 Medium Size Potato .. ( note: after 1500 - Pizarro - Peru )

1) Soak the salt cod overnight - changing the wáter 2 or 3 times if possible ..
2) If using fresh cod, wash, pat dry and soak in milk of choice for approx. 20 minutes and remove the skin and bones .. Place the shredded cod into a large glass bowl - when drained from all the milk.
3) Mince the garlic and the parsley and place in bowl ..
4) Place the knob of butter and Evoo very slowly and with a Stand Up Mixer, combine to a chunky dip texture. Now add a tiny clove .. or if you prefer the Mediterranean Herbs of Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Savory and Parsley very finely minced ..
5) Boil 1 potato and when tender, rinse with cold wáter, and peel skin .. Then diced finely and add to the fish bowl .. Combine with mixture .. Using a stand up Mixture ..
6) Adjust salt & pepper and adjust spices & herbs and cover, and place in refrig for 2 or 3 hours or overnight ..

Serve with Grissini and ass´t crackers .. and a lovely Prosecco ..

Enjoy ..

This is a historically documented récipe, however, one can add fennel or celery or shallot to their cod fish dip ..

Right @Francesca, in the North of Italy the butter was very used in big quantity instead of Evoo (or oil in general), especially in Veneto, Lombardia, Val D'Aosta, Trentino Alto Adige. Nowadays Evoo it's preferred for low cholesterol and taste, even if for some traditional recipes, the butter is still the King..
Mantecato alla veneziana is spectacular with Evoo too :okay: or both.
 
in the North of Italy the butter was very used in big quantity instead of Evoo (or oil in general), especially in Veneto, Lombardia, Val D'Aosta, Trentino Alto Adige. Nowadays Evoo it's preferred for low cholesterol and taste, even if for some traditional recipes, the butter is still the King..
I believe this is because of the farming regions in the north (same reason for the prevalence of cream sauces vs. red sauces). Is that the case?
 
@The Late Night Gourmet

Red tomatoes do not do well in extremely cold climates ( or snow covered regions ). So this is another reason ..

Tomato sauce is more common in Napoli, Calabria ( the toe - southwest), Sicilia and Puglia (southeast heel of boot ) as well as Basilicata, located in the interior with only 14 kilometres of coast, between Puglia and Calabria ( also amazing red pepper growers - the best I have had ) ..
 
Right @Francesca, in the North of Italy the butter was very used in big quantity instead of Evoo (or oil in general), especially in Veneto, Lombardia, Val D'Aosta, Trentino Alto Adige. Nowadays Evoo it's preferred for low cholesterol and taste, even if for some traditional recipes, the butter is still the King..
Mantecato alla veneziana is spectacular with Evoo too :okay: or both.

@MypinchofItaly

Yes, definitely .. True !

Have a lovely weekend ..

*** Evoo producers are usually Molise, Liguria, Tuscany, Calabria and Sicilia and Puglia .. Climate ! Dry and sunny and let us not forget the Greeks occupied Puglia and Calabria before the Romans, and they are enormous Olive producers and Wine producers too ..
 
I believe this is because of the farming regions in the north (same reason for the prevalence of cream sauces vs. red sauces). Is that the case?

..and also because in the North there aren't olive trees (exception for Liguria region) and until '60s there weren't good connections between North and South of Italy, thus every region used and ate only their regional products. Evoo oil for example has been known in the North from '70/80s..today the use of butter is almost completely replaced by Evoo also for its health and benefits. Anyway ancient romans already knew butter but not to eat. They used it to spread on the skin vs solar rays.
 
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..and also because in the North there aren't olive trees (exception for Liguria region) and until '60s there weren't good connections between North and South of Italy, thus every region used and ate only their regional products. Evoo oil for example has been known in the North since '70/80s..today the use of butter is almost replaced by Evoo also for its health and benefits. Anyway ancient romans already knew butter but not to eat. They used it to spread on the skin vs solar rays.

@MypinchofItaly

True .. The same in Spain too and surely France as well and Portugal ..

All my best dear for a lovely weekend ..
 
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