1 1/2 pounds baccala soaked and rinsed then cut into 4 equal size pieces – see notes below
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup flour for dredging, will not use all of it
pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes quartered
Ingredients for sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
1/4 cup Gaeta olives pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons capers rinsed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup parsley minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
Directions:
Rinse baccala pieces of all salt then place them into a very large bowl submerged with water and covered with plastic. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 – 3 days to remove the saltiness. The water needs to be changed every 8 hours to help flush the salt.
Preheat oven to 400F. Par boil the potatoes to almost but not quite fork tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and let cool.
In a large oven-safe pan saute the garlic for about two minutes over medium-low heat in extra virgin olive oil until lightly golden. Add the hot red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds, then add the wine. Turn heat to medium-high and cook for 1-2 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol.
Turn the heat back down to medium-low and add the tomatoes, capers, and olives. Let the sauce simmer over very low heat stirring occasionally.
Heat a large nonstick frying pan to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Season the baccala with pepper on both sides then dredge into the flour and shake off the excess. Fry pieces in the pan until brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).
Place the seared fish into the sauce along with potatoes and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add the parsley, mix, and serve.
