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Try this Bacalao recipe for your next party

Find out how to make this Mediterranean favorite — from chef Angela Tamura, of Zuzu in Napa, Calif. — in your home kitchen

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In this special weekly feature, “Today” food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.

THIS WEEK: Bacalao, from Zuzu in Napa, Calif.

Recently we received a request for this recipe for Bacalao from ZuZu Restaurant in Napa, Calif. Bacalao is a traditional Mediterranean dish of dried salt cod, which has been desalted, cooked and then pureed with mashed potatoes, cream, and butter. This dish is rich and not salty at all. Bacalao is delicious when made into fritters, coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried, or served stuffed into a roasted sweet pepper. Angela Tamura, ZuZu’s chef, prepares it more simply, accompanying it with a crispy garlic crostini.

About the chef: Angela Tamura is a native of New England who now calls California home. Although she has been cooking all her life, a prerequisite with an Italian mother, she has been doing so professionally for only 12 years. Tamura attended and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania before finally realizing her senior year that what she really wanted to do was cook and create good food.

After working her way through several kitchens, she decided to attend the New England Culinary Institute in Essex, Vt. As part of her education, she took two demanding internships. One at the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, Fl., and one at Rialto Restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. After fulfilling all of her school requirements she stayed on at Rialto for another two years to continue learning from James Beard award-winning chef Jody Adams. From her time at Rialto, Tamura thought it would be great to see the wine country and learn more about food and wine together, so she moved to Napa and took the position of sous chef at Bistro Don Giovanni, eventually moving up to chef de cuisine.

In 2001, after taking time to get married, she joined the team at ZuZu. She felt a real affinity for the tapas concept and enjoyed the flexibility and creativity it afforded. She stayed on a year before being coaxed away to San Mateo to become executive chef at Central Park Bistro. Now, back at Zuzu as executive chef and really coming into her comfort zone, Tamura is enjoying playing with small plates. She has a real love of Spanish and Latin American cuisine and is starting to explore other regions of the Mediterranean such as Morocco and Greece for added inspiration.

Bacalao is served at ZuZu for $8.00. This recipe is meant to serve two as an appetizer.

Bacalao
By chef Angela Tamura of Zuzu in Napa, Calif.

Serves 2 as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 pound salt cod
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter, unsalted
• 1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil, and a little more to drizzle on top

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the cod overnight in cold water, changing the water a couple of times.
2. Remove the fish from the water and clean away any bone or skin.
3. In a small saucepan put in the cleaned fish, chopped onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf and white wine, and cover with cold water.
4. Bring the saucepan to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. In a separate pan, place the potato and cover with cold water, simmer until the potato is soft, and drain placing through a ricer.
6. Heat the cream together with the butter in a separate pan until the butter has melted.
7. Remove the fish from the liquid and place it in a small food processor.
8. Add the cream and melted butter to the food processor and pulse lightly.
9. Combine the mixture in the food processor with the potato, add the truffle oil and mix well using a rubber spatula or spoon.
10. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. (Do not mix the potato together with the fish using the food processor or the mixture will become starchy.)
11. At ZuZu, Bacalao is served in a clay baking dish after running it under the broiler to brown it slightly.

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ZuZu
829 Main Street
Napa, CA 94559
707-224-8555
www.zuzunapa.com

Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.


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