Can I make baccala (Italian salted cod) at home relatively easily?

Question

I would like to make some Italian baccalà dishes. However, I am unable to get my hands on baccalà. Also I have a box of frozen cod fillets sitting in the freezer that I don't want to waste. Can I make baccalà at home? Any easy way to do so? All I can find on Google with "baccala" are recipes that call for baccala, not how to make this important ingredient.

FuzzyChef · Answer

Yes, you can.  Instructions from the book The Cuisines of Spain:

Get several cod filets, preferably skin-on
Cover the bottom of a large non-reactive pan or dish with coarse salt (such as kosher salt)
Put the filets side-by-side on the salt.
Cover them with coarse salt.  They should be completely covered, with no fish showing.
Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Every 12 hours, pour off any accumulated liquids.  This will wash away some of the salt, so add salt as needed to re-cover the fish.
Lift the fish out of the salt and wipe it down with damp towels to remove the outer salt.
Use or freeze within a couple of weeks.

Can I make baccala (Italian salted cod) at home relatively easily?

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