Baccalà alla piastra su purè di ceci

Pan Seared Salt Cod with Chickpea Purée

Baccalà con i ceci (salt cod stewed with chickpeas) is one of the classic cucina povera dishes of traditional Roman cookery. Although not particularly well known among tourists, it’s a typical Friday special in homes and home style trattorias catering to a more local clientele. So when I came across this upscale riff on the classic dish, dubbed baccalà alla piastra su purè di ceci or Pan Seared Salt Cod with Chickpea Purée, on my last trip to Rome, I knew I had to try it. It was love at first bite.

In this elevated version of baccalà con i ceci, the baccalà is marinated with garlic and rosemary, then quickly pan seared and served over a bed of silky puréed chickpeas. It’s a wonderful way to transform a humble dish into a supremely elegant one. And although it takes some planning ahead, as both the salt cod and chickpeas need overnight pre-soaking, their actual preparation is quite easy to pull off.

And if you don’t care for salt cod, no worries. This chickpea purée marries beautifully with other kinds of seafood—more or less any fresh fish fillet you might fancy, or mollusks like octopus, cuttlefish or squid. And if you happen to be enjoying summer right now south of the Equator, you can grill your seafood instead of pan searing it.

While I had this dish for Easter dinner (I know, heresy!) it would make for a lovely main course for a traditional Italian fish-based Christmas Eve dinner.