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Golden fried baccalà fritto pieces stacked on a wooden board with lemon wedges and coarse salt on the side

Crispy Baccalà Fritto: Classic Venetian Fried Salt Cod

Fried salt cod in a crisp sparkling water batter, ready in about 35 minutes once the baccalà is soaked and desalted.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian (Venetian)
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the baccalà
  • 600 g baccalà (desalted salt cod), cut into 8 pieces fully soaked and desalted
  • 1 lemon , cut into wedges; for serving
For the batter
  • 150 g all-purpose flour
  • 200 ml cold sparkling water
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch black pepper
For frying
  • 1 liter sunflower or peanut oil enough for a 5 cm depth in the pot

Method
 

Prep the baccalà
  1. Drain the soaked baccalà and pat completely dry with paper towels.
  2. Cut into 8 even pieces, about 60 g each, removing any stray bones or skin.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and a pinch of pepper together in a bowl.
  2. Pour in the cold sparkling water and whisk just until smooth. Small lumps are fine, don't overmix.
Fry
  1. Heat oil in a deep pot to 175 C / 347 F, checking with a thermometer.
  2. Dip each piece of baccalà into the batter, letting excess drip off.
  3. Lower 3 to 4 pieces into the hot oil and fry 3 to 4 minutes until the crust turns deep gold and the fish flakes easily, reaching 140 F / 60 C inside.
  4. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Let the oil come back to 175 C / 347 F before frying the next batch.
  5. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Soak baccalà 48 hours ahead, changing the water 3 to 4 times to remove excess salt.
  • Keep the batter cold until the moment you dip the fish.
  • Don't add salt to the batter, the cod carries enough on its own.
  • Fry in small batches to keep oil temperature steady at 175 C / 347 F.