Crispy battered Cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà, this is a classic street food of Rome. It is so golden and crispy outside. Furthermore, inside there is this flaky moist cod that you are going to love. Looking for a wonderful appetizer? Bring a little Italy to your table!
Song of the day: "Ricordati di Me" by Antonello Vendetti
A time in Rome
This recipe brings back fond memories of strolling the narrow streets and piazzas of central Rome. Occasionally, you find these popular local street food places that are really hidden gems. Ones that only the locals would know of. I happen to know a local Roman, lol. Nicoletta brought me to one of these hidden delights!
If you are ever in Rome, you need to try this place called 'Dar Fillettaro a Santa Barbara' in Largo dei Librari, close to Campo de' Fiori. It is there that you will have some of the best fried filetti di baccalà. I still remember it to this day. What a great food memory, for Nicoletta and I.
Today you are in for a real treat as I am going to share it with you. Let's get started!
The ingredients for Crispy battered Cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà
This is a super easy recipe and needs very few ingredients. Here is our list:
- Fillets of salted cod (baccalà)
- Type "00" flour
- Carbonated water
- Fine sea salt & pepper
- Peanut oil for frying
Substitutions
- You can use all purpose flour if you don't have the type "00". Or, mix 2 parts all purpose flour and 1 part rice flour.
- Instead of peanut oil, a good quality vegetable oil would work for frying too, just make sure it has a high smoking point. Olive oil is a good substitute.
- Some use beer instead of the carbonated water. If that's what you want to do, use a light beer, as the malts or lagers would make the batter quite dark and also heavy.
From the kitchen
Let's go into the kitchen cabinets and drawers and get some equipment and utensils:
- Medium and small bowls.
- Cast pot for frying, or if you have a deep fryer, that is great too.
- A whisk.
- Some tongs, a spider, and a slotted spoon.
- Paper towel and a dish or baking pan for after frying.
- Some butcher's paper and red checkered paper to present the finished product.
Prepping the salted cod
This is where we need some time. The salted cod needs to be re-hydrated, and plumped up. We do this by soaking the cod for 2-3 days changing the water every 8 hours with fresh cold water. I like to rinse off the cod in the beginning and also when I am doing the water change. Place the whole piece of cod in a long plastic container or tupperware, top it with cold fresh water, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. Don't forget to change the water and rinse off the fish every 8 hours.
Once the cod is re-hydrated, pat it dry with some paper towel and cut it lengthwise into long strips. Remember to section it off according to thickness. This way we can control the cooking time accordingly. Season the cod strips lightly with salt and pepper.
Kitchen Tip
As the salted cod has different thicknesses from thick to thin, cut your fillets in long strips according to the thickness. This will ensure proper cooking times and ultimate delicious tender, flaky, moist outcomes.
The batter
Our fish is ready to go, now we have to make the batter. Here is what we need to do:
- Place flour into a medium size bowl. Season with some fine sea salt. Pour in the carbonated water a little at a time. At the same time, whisk the mixture until you get a lovely silky smooth batter. It should slowly run off the whish in an even stream and not in clumps.
- Once you have the batter done, cover with some plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
Crispy battered Cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà, time to get frying
Our batter has rested in the fridge. Now we want to take it out and remove the plastic wrap. It is time to get ready to fry these lovely pieces of cod.
- Firstly, pour enough peanut or other vegetable oil into a cast pot so that the battered fish will be totally submerged and able to float in the oil. Bring the oil to a 360°F temp.
- After that, throw the thickest pieces of baccalà into the batter, coat well and lift, letting any excess batter run off. Place into the the hot oil laying it in going in the opposite direction from you.
- With the spider, move the fish around and turn it so that it gets nice and golden, and crispy all around.
- Now grab the spider, scoop up the fried baccalà and let the excess oil drip off. Place on a paper towel lined dish or pan.
- Lastly, take the thinner strips of cod, batter them and fry them. Remember that the thickness determines how long you want them to cook for. For the thicker parts about 10 minutes, while for the thinner around 8 minutes. If you want to be sure, the internal temperature should be around 145°F.
Presenting and serving this Crispy battered Cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà
When I was thinking about how I wanted to serve this Crispy battered cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà, that vision of Nicoletta and I sharing this amazing Italian street food came so vividly in my mind, eating it right on the street in a cone. I got some butcher's paper and created a cone, and just for some color added a liner of red checkered paper. I then placed the fried baccalà inside and there you have it. What do you think? I hope I did Rome proud.
It was really close to the fried fish fillet I had in Rome, and I am giving myself a pat on the back. And now, a taste!
Tasting time
The first thing is the crispness, it has a resounding crunch, and that batter is so delicious. Not too salty, perfectly golden. The star is the salted cod, so flacky and juicy and also perfectly seasoned. I lighty seasoned the fish prior to battering. The cod has a bit of saltiness as that is how it is preserved so watch out for that. It is an absolutley delicious appetizer and so fun to eat like this.
I am sure your party guests would be thrilled to experience these lovely Crispy battered Cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà. We know our guests love them, either when we entertain at home, and also when we presented it as part of a full Roman menu we did for a restaurant takeover in Edmonton this past summer.
Crispy battered cod fillets and onion rings
If you have been following Nicoletta and I for a while, you must know that wasting food is not in our vocabulary. So with that being said, there was some batter leftover.
Knowing I had some beautiful red onion in the fridge, it had me thinking "onion rings". Furthermore, what could be better with fried salted cod than these delectable onion rings? They are so delicious. Crispy and so soft and caramelized inside. Truly like candy and equally addictive too, lol.
Thanks for joining me in our kitchen. It has been an absolute pleasure sharing this memorable recipe with you!
Enjoy!
PrintCrispy battered cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà
Crispy battered cod fillets, Roman Filetti di baccalà, ths is a classic from the streets of Rome. It is so golden crispy outside and inside there is this flacky moist rich cod that you are going to love. Looking for a wonderful appetizer? Bring a little Italy to your party!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 2 people 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
The fish
- 300 g salted cod (baccalà)
- salt and pepper
The batter
- 1 cup flour (we used type "00" flour)
- ⅓ cup cold carbonated water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For frying
- 4 cups oil for frying (we used peanut oil)
Instructions
The fish:
- Take the salted cod fillet and rinse off with cold water. Place in a container or dish, submerge in cold fresh water. Cover and place in the fridge.
- Change the water every 8 hours, and rinse the fish off too. Do this for 2-3 days.
- Once the baccalà is re-hydrated, pat it dry with some paper towel and cut into strips lengthwise. Make sure to divide the fillets into sections according to thickness.
- Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper.
The batter:
- In a medium size bowl pour in the flour. Sprinkle in the salt and give it a whisk.
- Now slowly pour in the carbonated water a little at a time, and also whisk. Continue this until you get a smooth silky batter that runs slowly off the whisk.
- Cover and place batter in the fridge, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Frying the fish:
- Pour enough peanut oil into a medium cast pot so that the battered fish will be submerged in the oil and be able to float around during cooking. Bring to a 360°F heat.
- Take the batter out of the fridge, uncover, and give it a stir. Take the thickest strips of baccalà and place in the batter. Make sure to coat them well. Pick up the fish with tongs and lift letting any excess batter drip off.
- Lay the battered fish into the hot oil letting it fall away from you. With a spider move the fish around then turn it so that it gets nice and golden all over, about 10 minutes of frying time. Scoop up the fish with a spider and let any excess oil drip off, then place on a paper towel lined plate or pan.
- Now take the thinner strips, batter and fry for 8 minutes. Take out, let drip the oil off and place on your lined plate or pan.
Presentation:
- Take some butcher's paper and shape it into a cone. Now get the checkered paper and roll into a cone also, and place it into the other cone.
- Place the fried filetti di baccalà in the cone.
- Ready to serve.
Onion rings:
- You may have some batter left over. Slice up some onion into rounds and separate the rings. Throw into the batter and coat well. Then scoop them up and let any excess batter drip off.
- Drop them into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Scoop them out and place on a paper towel line dish.
- I served them in the same paper cones I made for the fish.
Notes
If you don't have peanut oil, you can use a good quality vegetable oil (olive oil or sunflower oil work).
Some people like to use beer for the batter instead of the carbonated water. Use a light blond ale and not a malt or lager. It will effect the color and also make the batter heavy and not so crispy. Make sure the beer is cold.
Remember you need 2 to 3 days to re-hydrate the salted cod.
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Maddy says
Another great recipe! I love how easy yet delicious your recipes are. This cod is a great one when you need something quick and easy but don't want to compromise on taste.
So well put Maddy, and thank you so much for the lovely thoughts. We will take them all with great gratitude!
Cheers!
veenaazmanov says
An Appetizer perfect for a party platter. Simple, quick easy and crispy. Thanks for all the detailing.
Hi Veena you are so very welcome, so happy you are enjoying these as much as we enjoy making them!
Happy cooking!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is a great way to cook a cod! The crispiness on the outside greets you with the crunch and the inside will meet you with the moist and superb flavor!
Hi Amy, We are loving the way you're describing this fried fish and it is all true!
Thank you!
Colleen says
The battered cod fillets are so perfectly crispy and golden and then the lovely moist cod inside. Thank you for this delicious, yet simple recipe.
Hi Colleen, you are so welcome. It was our pleasure. It is truly a simple gem of a fish dish. Enjoy!
Carrie Robinson says
Oh yum! I just love a good battered and fried fish recipe! This would also be perfect to make for Lent. 🙂
Hi Carrie yes I love when you get that light crispy outside and inside is a juicy pot of gold. A very good choice for lent!
Happy cooking!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
I love love love fried cod and this was exceptional! Honestly the peanut oil really makes all the difference here when it comes to frying the fish! Such an incredible texture and flavor!
Hi Lori, so happy you tried the peanut oil. It has a high smoking pointy and keeps the heat so well giving you ultimate end results. Meaning super crispy and golden! lol.
Thanks for sharing!
Lisa says
I love this cod recipe!it made the perfect battered fish. I used beer and it gave it a delicious flavor.
Way to go Lisa, and make it your own using the beer. It does give alot of flavor to the batter and a nice color! Thanks for trying it!
Cheers!
Jamie says
My cod fillets came out so crispy and crunchy! Thank you for the tip to use carbonated water and 00 flour. Great recipe!
Hey Jamie that is fantastic that you tried this and loved it. That is why we share our traditional recipes and we love them so much. Thanks!
Krysten Clark Wilkes says
Crispy and dazzling in flavor! After trying this cod recipe I almost don't see a point in going to Rome because I truly got a taste of it with this easy recipe!
Wow Krysten what a huge compliment. Thank you so much!
Eden Westbrook says
My family loved this version of bacalaito! It's amazing how this dish has traveled the world (we have them too in the Caribbean). So crispy and delish!