Bacalà Mantecato

Name: Bacalà Mantecato
Yield: makes 24 crostini
Ingredients: 6 ounces salted bacalà (salt cod; see Bacalà al Forno, page 215, or use store-bought); 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 12 large garlic cloves, minced; Kosher salt; 6 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice; 1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed; 24 Garlic Crostini (page 46); 2 tablespoons Black Olive Tapenade (page 65); or 24 whole Moroccan oilcured black olives, pitted and chopped, plus finishing-quality extra- virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Italian parsley leaves

January 26, 2012

Mantecato means “churned,” and bacalà mantecato, essentially an Italian version of French brandade, is salt cod potato purée. We started making these crostini to use the salt cod we had left from the Bacalà al Forno (page 215) at the Pizzeria. It’s so popular that we now make extra salt cod for this dish.

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