Baccalà mantecato

Baccalà mantecato is a Venetian appetizer made from dried salt cod, known in Italian as stockfish, whose name translates roughly as whipped salt cod spread or creamed cod. The fish is poached in water or milk with garlic, then deboned and whipped together with olive oil until it becomes a fluffy, mousse-like spread, sometimes with potato, lemon, or bay leaf added during preparation. It is typically served on top of polenta or grilled bread, and remains a popular item in Venetian bars, especially at Christmas. Salt cod was introduced into Venetian cooking in the fifteenth century and the dish itself is credited to eighteenth-century Venice, where a Brotherhood of Baccalà Mantecato was established in 2001 to help preserve the tradition.