WHIPPED SALT COD, WHITE TRUFFLE OIL, CRISPY POLENTA & MILK AND PARSLEY EMULSION

WHIPPED SALT COD, WHITE TRUFFLE OIL, CRISPY POLENTA &
MILK AND PARSLEY EMULSION

A dish rooted in Venetian history, reinterpreted with contemporary
sensitivity. The
baccalà mantecato, a symbol of the bacari tradition, worked with respect
and precision, transforms into a silky, soft, profound, and enveloping
cream. Honest and sincere, it finds a new voice today, built with patience
and memory. The white truffle oil
appears with measured elegance, never overwhelming, merely
suggesting, passing like a gentle shadow. The polenta preserves the
ancient gesture of Venetian popular tables; made into chips, warm and
crisp, it breaks through the creaminess with rhythm and character. The
emulsified cooking milk ties everything together, providing coherence
and gustatory continuity, while the parsley oil evokes freshness, bringing
a breath of the lagoon and adding verticality and light to each bite.
A dish that tells the story of Venice, its history, its bacari, and its
authentic spirit, now elevated to a refined and conscious gastronomic
experience, where respect transforms into emotion.

SERVES 4
300 g rehydrated salt cod (baccalà) (or wild cod)
300 g double cream
300 g whole milk
1 fresh bay leaf
1 whole garlic clove
130 ml grapeseed oil
3 Tbsp TRUFFITALY white truffle oil

FOR THE PARSLEY OIL
100 ml parsley leaves
100 g vegetable oil

FOR THE POLENTA CHIPS
100 g cornmeal
400 ml water
Salt
TRUFFITALY salt flakes

METHOD
FOR THE SALT COD
Place the salt cod in a saucepan that is not too wide. Add the garlic, bay leaf,
milk, and cream until covered.
Set over medium-low heat and bring gently to a boil. Simmer softly for about
10 minutes.
If using wild cod, turn off the heat before it reaches a boil.
Allow to cool in its cooking liquid.
Remove the salt cod from the slightly warm liquid and, using a whisk, break it
up while whipping, slowly drizzling in the oil.
Add the TRUFFITALY white truffle oil last. If needed, add a little of the
cooking milk, and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
Set the salt cod aside and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve.

FOR THE MILK EMULSION
Place the strained milk and cream in a suitable saucepan and gently bring to a
boil.
Allow to reduce slowly until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Set aside.

FOR THE PARSLEY OIL
Blend the parsley leaves with the vegetable oil. Transfer the mixture to a
saucepan and cook gently until the solid part separates from the liquid.
Strain the liquid through muslin onto a tray and allow to cool, then place in the
freezer without stirring.
Once frozen, transfer the oil that remains on top of the frozen liquid into another
container.

FOR THE POLENTA CHIPS
Bring the water to a boil and gradually add the cornmeal and salt, stirring
continuously.

Cook until thick. While still hot, spread the polenta thinly between two sheets of
baking paper using a rolling pin.
Bake in a fan oven at 90°C for at least two hours, until completely dried.
Once cold, break into irregular pieces by hand and fry a few pieces at a time in
oil at 180°C.
Season with TRUFFITALY salt flakes.

PLATING
Place the salt cod, still warm but not hot, in the center of the plate.
Arrange the thickened milk emulsion around the salt cod and add a few drops of
parsley oil over the emulsion.
Garnish with a few fried polenta chips and microgreens to taste.

Created by Ivonne Barillari 16/02/2026