Stocco and Potato Salad

Method

1. Clean the stoccafisso (or desalted baccalà): remove any bones and cut the fillet into pieces. If using the belly part, clean and cut into small pieces.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes of about 1.5 cm. Place them in a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation.
3. Rinse the potatoes under running water to remove excess starch.
4. In a large pot, combine the stoccafisso pieces and potato cubes. Add the garlic cloves (crushed, whole, with skin). Add cold water just to cover.
5. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add salt, reduce the heat, and cook with the lid slightly open for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
6. Drain the mixture and let it cool slightly. Then flake the stoccafisso into bite-sized pieces.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: cut off the stem, cut each tomato into four pieces, and remove the seeds and inner watery part.
8. In a large bowl, combine the flaked stoccafisso, potatoes, tomato pieces, olives, cocktail capers, chopped parsley, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and oregano. Mix gently by transferring the salad from one bowl to another to avoid breaking the potatoes.
9. Adjust seasoning with salt and chili pepper (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature.