Vicenza, · Veneto Techniques

Baccalà alla Vicentina is the supreme expression of stockfish cookery in Italy — dried, unsalted cod (stoccafisso) slow-braised for 4-5 hours in milk and onion until the fish completely disintegrates into a silky, ivory-white stew of extraordinary creaminess. Despite the name containing 'baccalà' (salt cod), the dish is always made with stoccafisso — the Vicentine dialect uses the terms interchangeably. The result is not a stew with fish pieces but a creamy, unified preparation closer to a rich, fish-based risotto in consistency.

Vicenza's baroque salt cod preparation — a contradiction in terms that Vicentini are fiercely proud of: they call stockfish (stoccafisso, air-dried) 'baccalà' when the rest of Italy reserves that name for salt cod. The stockfish is rehydrated for 3–4 days in running water, then slow-braised in a casserole with onions, anchovies, milk, olive oil, and Parmigiano for 4–4.5 hours without stirring — the fish breaks down and absorbs the enriched milk into a creamy, almost paste-like consistency. Served on white polenta (polenta bianca).

Baccalà alla Vicentina is one of the great fish preparations of northern Italy, made from stockfish (stoccafisso — air-dried, unsalted cod) rather than salt cod, soaked for 3-4 days until softened, then braised for 4-6 hours in a mixture of milk, anchovies, onion, and olive oil over the lowest possible heat until the fish has dissolved almost completely into the sauce, and the sauce has taken on a creamy, intensely savoury character. Despite its name (baccalà), the Vicenza preparation always uses stockfish — the confusion between baccalà (salt cod) and stoccafisso (stockfish) is specific to the Veneto dialect.

The humblest and most comforting preparation in the Vicenza tradition: Vialone Nano rice simmered in whole milk with nothing but salt and a knob of butter, until the rice is fully cooked and the milk has thickened slightly from the released starch. Sometimes finished with a grating of Parmigiano; sometimes eaten plain. It is the first solid food given to Veneto children, the sick person's restorative, and the old person's preference — but when made with great milk and the right variety of rice, it is also a demonstration of how little complexity is needed to make something excellent.

A risotto from the Vicenza area that showcases two of the region's great products together: sopressa vicentina DOP (a large, soft, sweet salame aged in lard) diced and rendered into the base fat, and Asiago mezzano (medium-aged) stirred in during the mantecatura. The sopressa fat replaces butter as the cooking medium and enriches the final texture; its sweet, lightly spiced flavour permeates every grain. A winter risotto of exceptional depth.