Stockfish

[Stoccafisso (Italy); Baccalà (Venice); Bakalar (Croatia); Okporoko (Nigeria), Nti Okporoko (Nigera (collars))]

Stockfish is fish dried without salt. It is particularly important in Iceland, Portugal, Italy and Nigeria. It is dried by cold air and wind while hanging on racks. Some fermentation from cold tolerant bacteria also takes place. This can only be done in regions with the right climate. The most common fish used is Cod, but Haddock, Pollock and Cusk are also used. Without salt to hold water, stockfish is very hard and dry. It can take several days of soaking (water changed periodically) to soften it.

Stockfish is relatively rare today in most of the world, because it has been much replace by salted fish. This was made possible in the 17th century by the great salt pans of Aveiro, Portugal, which brought the price of salt down to where salting fish was economical. The critical climate requirements for stockfish are not so strict for salted fish. An indoor method for producing quality stockfish was developed in 2015 with European Union funding.

Italy:

Italy is a major importer of stockfish from Norway, most of which is either whole fish or the prime parts. Recipes call for soaking 24 hours, then removing skin and scales before cooking, which will involve moderately long simmering. Norwegian stockfish entered Italian cuisine before 1500.

Nigeria:

Nigerians are major consumers of stockfish. It entered the country's cuisine around 1969 as famine relief donated by Norway, and is now considered a kitchen essential. While Nigeria does buy some whole fish, most of what they buy is less expensive heads, collars and offcuts. Since it's universal in Nigeria, nobody gives any instructions - except one authoritative cookbook I posess. It is put in a pot of water and brought to a boil, then taken off the heat and allowed to sit in the water overnight. Then it is deboned and made recipe ready. I've read they don't remove the bones because they chew them up for calcium, but I've found even the smallest bones to be unchewable.

Buying:

This is not an easy product to find, except on the Internet. The photo specimens of "Stockfish Bits" were purchased from an African market in Los Angeles (North Hills) for about 2018 US $11.33 / pound. It was produced in Canada.

Storing:

Keep dry in a very tightly sealed container. It should be good for at least a year.

Prep:

Depending on thickness, Stockfish will take at least 24 hours of soaking to be recipe ready. I put it in a heat sealed 2-mil polyurethane bag in the refrigerator. I refill once by cutting a corner off, draining and refilling, then re-seal. In the fridge, soaking takes longer than the Nigerian method give above.

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