It is traditional in European Catholic countries to have baccalá while fasting during Lent. It’s also usually eaten on Fridays, especially on Good Friday and Christmas Eve. It is regarded as a clean food for the soul by the Catholic clergy. There are hundreds of recipes for baccalá throughout Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Croatia.
For my family, Christmas Eve is unimaginable without baccalá on the table – its smell permeates through the house announcing that a feast is about to begin.
Baccalá is sourced from Norway and Portugal, as there is no baccalá in the Mediterranean. My family prefer air-dried (unsalted) Norwegian cod, which is superior in quality and price. Salted Portuguese cod is also good and a lot cheaper. In Croatia, the following two recipes are the most popular. Serve it at the beginning of a meal with toasted bread.