Codfish Salad

Name: Codfish Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Desalted cod 1.1 lbs; White wine 0.4 cup; Lemon juice 2 tsp; Lemon peel 1; Parsley 3 sprigs; Juniper berries to taste; Parsley ½ tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 4 ½ tbsp; Lemon juice 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Oranges 2; Arugula 3.3 cups; Taggiasca olives 3.5 oz

it es fr de br

Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Serving: 8
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lulù Gargari

When it comes to traditional Italian festive dishes, cod salad really stands out, especially during Christmas. It's about taking baccalà, or salted cod, and turning it into something tender and fresh. Seriously good stuff. This cod salad recipe starts with boiling the cod in aromatic water—pretty simple—and turns it into something delicate and perfect for your table. Add juicy orange slices, the famous Ligurian Taggiasca olives, and a bed of peppery arugula. And you know what? Drizzle with a zesty parsley sauce to bring out all the flavors. It's a cod fish salad that’s light yet makes a big impression—so colorful that you’ll want to snap a photo before diving in.

In Italy, particularly in the northern regions, people enjoy experimenting with different cod salad variations. Depending on the season or what's in the fridge, you might find baccalà topping crostini, turned into crispy fritters, or mixed with potatoes for a moist snack. But when you want something really, really special, this salt cod salad with oranges and olives is unbeatable. The sweetness of the oranges balances the fish, while the parsley sauce serves as a cod salad dressing that ties everything together.

And the sauce? Each bite offers a mix of tangy, savory, and a hint of sweet from the fruit. Works great. This dish shines as a starter, but nobody minds if it becomes the main event, especially when served with good bread and maybe a glass of white wine. People keep coming back to this cod salad because it's not only delicious but also simple, and always a crowd-pleaser at any festive gathering. Plus, it showcases the core of Italian cooking—fresh, quality ingredients and a love for food that brings everyone together. So, so good.

INGREDIENTS

For the cod: Desalted cod 1.1 lbs (500 g); White wine 0.4 cup (100 g); Lemon juice 2 tsp (10 g); Lemon peel 1; Parsley 3 sprigs; Juniper berries to taste

For the parsley sauce: Parsley ½ tbsp (7 g); Extra virgin olive oil 4 ½ tbsp (60 g); Lemon juice 2 tbsp (30 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For serving: Oranges 2; Arugula 3.3 cups (100 g); Taggiasca olives 3.5 oz (100 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Codfish Salad

To prepare the codfish salad, first bring a pot full of water to a boil and immerse the whole cod fillet 1. Add the white wine 2 and lemon zest 3.

Also flavor with juniper berries 4, lemon juice 5, and parsley 6.

Cook for about 35 minutes 7. Meanwhile, peel the oranges, removing the peel 8 and extracting the segments without the white part 9.

Move on to the parsley sauce: finely chop the parsley 10, then transfer it to a small bowl and add the oil 11, salt 12, and pepper.

Also add the lemon juice 13 and mix well to emulsify 14. At this point, the cod will be cooked, so drain it and remove the skin. Divide the fillet into flakes, being careful to remove the bones 15.

You are ready to assemble the salad: spread a bed of arugula on the serving platter 16, then place the cod on top 17 and distribute the Taggiasca olives 18.