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Baccalà Quenelle with Garbanzo Beans

A refined Tuscan seafood appetizer where creamy salt cod, tender garbanzo beans, parsley, and extra virgin olive oil come together in an elegant antipasti presentation.

Tuscan Seafood Gluten-Free Antipasti Station Menu Builder Ready

Recipe + Menu Builder + Inventory

This appetizer page is structured for visual presentation, recipe search, live inventory mapping, wine pairing, and future menu planning integration across the Tuscany Cuisine system.

Seafood Appetizer Feature

Traditional Product, Modern Presentation

Baccalà is one of the most enduring ingredients in Italian coastal and regional cooking. Here it is plated with a smoother, more refined quenelle presentation while keeping the rustic soul of legumes, olive oil, and parsley.

Baccalà quenelle with garbanzo beans and parsley

Recipe Overview

This elegant antipasto transforms traditional preserved salt cod into a silky quenelle, balanced by tender garbanzo beans and bright Italian parsley. The dish carries a Tuscan sensibility: humble ingredients, careful preparation, and clean plating that lets the flavor of the fish and olive oil lead the experience.

Why This Page Matters

This page is not only a recipe presentation for guests and readers, but also a fully structured working page for your site system, with servings scaling, recipe search visibility, operational tags, and inventory-ready ingredient mapping.

Connected Experience

The recipe is aligned with the appetizer master template, connected to the Antipasti Station, and prepared for Menu Builder use, wine pairing suggestions, recipe search, and future production planning tools.

Ingredients

Base recipe = 4 servings.
  • 450 g preserved salty cod (baccalà), soaked overnight
  • 57 g boiled garlic
  • 215 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 227 g dry garbanzo beans
  • 1000 g whole milk
  • 30 g fresh chopped Italian parsley

Preparation

  1. Soak the salt cod overnight in cold water to remove the excess salt, changing the water as needed.
  2. Place the cod in whole milk, cover, and simmer gently at 300°F for about 30 minutes until tender. Cool slightly, then strain.
  3. Transfer the cod to a blender or food processor and blend with the boiled garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a small splash of the cooking liquid until completely smooth and creamy.
  4. Cook the garbanzo beans until tender. Drain and season lightly with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  5. Spoon the garbanzo beans onto the plate, shape the baccalà mixture into a quenelle, and place it on top or alongside the beans.
  6. Finish with chopped Italian parsley and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Elegant Antipasto, Ready for Service

This appetizer works beautifully for a refined plated starter, tasting menu opening, or seafood-focused antipasti offering. The creamy texture of the cod and the earthy beans give the page both culinary depth and strong menu identity.

Chef Service Notes

For cleaner plating, keep the baccalà mixture well chilled before shaping quenelles. The beans should be tender but still hold form so the dish keeps visual contrast between the creamy cod and the rustic legume base.

Suggested Service Style

  • Serve as a composed plated appetizer
  • Pair with a mineral white wine
  • Finish with high-quality EVOO
  • Garnish simply with parsley for freshness and color
Nutrition (per serving, estimate)
Calories340 kcal
Protein24 g
Carbohydrates20 g
Fat18 g
Fiber6 g
Cholesterol45 mg
Sodium780 mg