Baccalà tripe is a condiment based on cod tripe and olives, made with the softest and rarest part - cod tripe -, and with taggiasca olives and anchovies.
Baccalà has an ancient history that intertwines Northern European traditions with Veneto.
In 1400, a Venetian navigator was rescued during a storm by fishermen from the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
In a place where the night lasted three months, the inhabitants kept huge quantities of local fish, the stockfish, drying it in the sun.
Back in Venice, the navigator brought with him the discovery of this little treasure, which began to spread in the cities of Veneto, finding great appreciation for its taste and long conservation.
Today it represents a main ingredient of Venetian cuisine, especially in the Vicenza-style and Venetian-style creamed variants.
The chef tells us that many years ago, before opening the Il Desco restaurant, his father and grandmother ran a historic shop in Verona where they served good wine accompanied by Venetian cicchetti.
Whenever the grandmother prepared cod alla vicentina, the "vecioti" competed to grab the cod tripe, the most coveted part.
This family recipe then became a dish of Desco, still served today as a condiment for gnocchi.
RECOMMENDED PAIRING:
as a condiment for gnocchi or other forms of fresh pasta,
as a condiment for risotto,
to flavor polenta, spread on croutons.
HOW TO USE IT:
As a condiment for bruschetta, polenta, croutons: heat the product in a non-stick pan, or in the microwave for a couple of minutes (removing the clips, the cap and the silicone gasket), or in a bain-marie (keeping the cap and clip).