Italian stock fish
A curious, smelly dried fish that tastes delicious.
If you are a fan of ripe cheeses, pickled veggies, and other cured foods then this is the newsletter for you.
You might be familiar with baccala, cured fish, usually cod, that’s preserved first with salt and then by drying. It can be found in many different cultures, including Jamaica the country my great-grandmother called home.
Growing up I would eat it in a stew loaded with potatoes and spices. But I knew this salty fish under a different name, bacalao or simply saltfish (some also call it salt cod or salt dolly).
Years later, when I began spending time in southern Italy, I was reintroduced to the food because Calabria, specifically Reggio Calabria, is famous for making incredible baccala.
Giuseppe’s mother, Lina, loves serving it alla Mammolese with potatoes, tomatoes, olives, and capers (she also makes fritters but that’s a food story for another day).
I immediately loved the dish because it felt familiar. Like a sliver of my childhood where I found myself seated back in the sticky leather booth seating of my grandmother’s cozy bright yellow kitchen on another cold day in foggy San Francisco.
Later I was introduced to another type of fish, similar to baccala but with a different taste and texture. It was stoccafisso or stockfish which I like to call baccala’s smellier more intense cousin. And Calabria, especially Reggio Calabria, again happens to be a place where they love making and curing incredible stoccafisso.
Stoccafisso, unlike baccala, is made without the use of salt, meaning it’s simply dried. Since there’s no salt to aid in the curing process it has a much more concentrated flavor and smell. And it seems that people either love it or hate it. We fall into the first category.
Even in Italy the terms stoccafisso and baccala are often used interchangeably. And while the two fish may look a lot alike and even smell similar if you aren’t familiar with them, they aren’t the same product.
How to tell the difference: Stoccafisso tends to be chewier in texture with a more intense scent and flavor. While baccala tends to fall apart easier when cooked, is slightly saltier, and has a more subtle flavor.
Where to eat it: If you’re headed to Calabria in the near future you should definitely give stoccafisso a try. About an hour's drive northeast of Reggio Calabria sits a lovely town called Mammola. This hillside community has a somewhat unexpected specialty, making delicious stoccafisso in just about every way imaginable.
That includes fried, sauteed, boiled, and steamed. And as an appetizer in a fritter, in a salad, in ravioli, and in white or red pasta sauce. If you can dream it they can cook it.
We like to go to a restaurant called Il Ponte. It’s beautiful and has an enormous menu featuring stoccafisso. If you’re in the vicinity it’s definitely worth the drive. Also, the highway through the mountains is gorgeous.
If you need help planning your trip to Calabria or southern Italy don’t hesitate to reach via email (hello@exauoliveoil.com) for travel consulting!
What’s new at EXAU?
Here are a few updates from us.
We're starting harvest!!!
It’s October which means olive harvest is upon us. If you haven’t lived through an EXAU olive harvest, it’s pretty fun. We’ll be sharing the entire process on our Instagram like we do every year : )
Want to read about the process? Try this post.
The Olive Oil Club is Open!
What does that mean? We ship you oil every 3 months. Choose from 3 different membership levels:
Plus members get 10% off all orders forever.
The Tre3 is back in stock!!
The Tre3 was out of stock for a few months but it’s back just in time for the holidays!! This is your chance to try out all three EXAU extra virgin olive oils. We think this makes the best housewarming + holiday gift : )
Have a great week!!
-Skyler & Giuseppe
Sooooo interesting! Stockfish is what they use here in Venice for baccala mantecato. WE should do a north/south mash-up.