Today, December 26, 2011, marks the beginning of the traditional 12 Days of Christmas, and continues through January 6, in celebration of the Epiphany. The Epiphany is otherwise known as ‘The Little Christmas’, and the day the Wise Men followed the ‘star’, and arrived, bearing gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.
As we celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, continue in the celebration in visiting family, friends, neighbors and community centers. Bring food…share…and brighten anothers’ day.
In our Italian home, Baccala was prepared on Christmas Eve for dinner in celebration of ‘The Vigilia’. I fondly remember my grandfather enjoying the leftovers of the many fishes.
By request, I am including my grandmother’s recipe for Baccala as captured in “MaMa Mia Cucina”. For more information regarding “The Feast of the 7 Fishes” tradition, please click HERE to read my former blog post.
Wishing you all a Merry 12 Days of Christmas!
Baccala (dried Codfish)
1 pound of baccala
1 cup of flour
2 eggs, well beaten
ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup of canola or vegetable oil for frying
Find a tub large enough to soak the codfish in water for three (3) days, changing the cold water 2 to 3 times each day. After the third day, wash the fish well, removing remaining salt. Pat dry with paper towels, dredge each piece in flour, and then dip in beaten egg (add ground pepper to the egg), and fry in hot oil on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place on a serving dish and serve with fresh lemon wedges.
This is Christmas fish! It was always served on our holiday table for the Vigilia.