Florentine Style Baccalà

Florentine style Baccalà, or Baccalà alla Fiorentina: This is one of the basic recipes for baccalà and has an enormous number of variations. Some add a half a minced onion to the garlic, and still others fry the fish separately and drain it thoroughly, adding it to the sauce at the last minute. No matter how you make it, it's good. To serve 4:

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  soaked salt cod fish (cut into two-inch slices across the grain and floured)
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 2 -3  crushed pealed garlic cloves
•  fresh ground pepper
•  white wine
• 1  lb  pealed seeded fresh tomatoes or 3⁄4 lb canned tomato
• 1  bunch parsley, minced

Directions

1. PREPARATION:
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic. When it's lightly browned, add the fish, shifting it about gently lest it stick. When one side's browned, turn it gently and brown the other. Add a pinch of freshly ground pepper (salt shouldn't be necessary) and sprinkle with a little bit of wine.
3. When the wine has evaporated, add the tomatoes and continue cooking for a few minutes, till the sauce is cooked; sprinkle with the minced parsley and serve hot. Serves four.
4. Baccalà alla fiorentina is often served with plain boiled chick peas.
5. If you add a shredded hot pepper to the tomato sauce, you will have baccalà alla Livornese.