This dish consecrates the cultural bridge between Italy and Norway born in 1432

Stockfish consecrates a historic cultural bridge between Italy and Norway, born one day in 1432 when the Venetian aristocrat Pietro Querini brought in his luggage from the Lofoten Islands where – he wrote – he had been shipwrecked in “culo mundi”, as many as 60 fish. Fish “that become hard as wood and dry in the sun and wind without salt” and came from the city of Stokke. It was the cod “Ghadus morhua” which took the Italian name of “Stoccafisso” and conquered all the ports of the Adriatic and Mediterranean through the Venetian navy, thanks to its three great virtues.

The milestone

That of being good, storable and of enforcing the principle imposed in 1545 by the Council of Trent of eating “lean” on Christmas Eve and Lent. «And this is how this fish – says Angelo Serri, director of Tipicità – became a cornerstone of all regional cuisines. From Genoa to Venice, from Naples to Messina, from Istria to Reggio Calabria and obviously in the Marche, where typical dishes such as the iconic stockfish all’Anconitana and “in sauce” of Ripatransone are historic, but also those all’elpidiense, Fermana and many other interpretations scattered throughout the hinterland”. Serri is the ideal guide for traveling around the world dedicated to this Nordic fish considered the best seasonal Arctic cod and dried since the Viking era with the same method. He dedicates himself to it out of passion and has involved his organisation, a think tank of food and wine in the Marche region, involving the Academies which, throughout Italy, promote the valorisation of stockfish and protect its recipes. He managed to create a festival within the Festival Tipicità of Fermo. A unique event in the world that makes the Marche region a sought-after destination for gourmets, as in one evening you can taste dozens of specialties freshly cooked by chefs who come, for the occasion, from the four corners of the Bel Paese.

The extraordinary flavour

«Stockfish – specifies Serri – is a genuine product, with an extraordinary flavor and a unique consistency, the result of a centuries-old artisanal processing method, from which a product resulting from the close collaboration between man and nature is obtained». He explains that the cod is cleaned immediately after capture, hung on special racks and left exposed from February to May to cold, dry winds. Then, once the outdoor drying procedure is finished, it is stored for another couple of months in a dry, closed but well-ventilated environment. Which allows it to keep its vitamins and nutritional properties unchanged. In the Marche, there are several dishes that consecrate it but the absolute symbol of our regional cuisine is Ancona style stockfish.

The choice of product

For Roberta Caroti of Trattoria Carotti «the careful choice of the product is fundamental, top quality ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil and wine – verdicchio obviously – and careful cooking that alternates high heat and slow heat because it is a dish stewed that doesn’t want uniform cooking in the oven”. But his real secret is his expert eye: «The fish must be white, not too soft and you must pay attention to the thickness. Too high, there is a risk that it will remain too wet.”

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