Estocafic — France

Estocafic, also called estocaficada, is a dish from Nice built around stockfish, cod or haddock that has been air-dried rather than salted, then soaked over several days to soften before cooking. The technique of drying fish this way, without salt, is linked historically to Scandinavia, and especially Norway. Its consumption spread across Christian Europe from around the twelfth century onward, since dried fish cooked in oil offered a way to observe periods of fasting anywhere, at any time of year. Familiarity with stockfish in Nice is thought to date from the era when trading ships from Flanders, bound for the maritime ports of the Italian peninsula, anchored for shelter near the citadel of Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer. The rehydrated stockfish is drained, boned and torn into large pieces, then simmered with onions and garlic softened in olive oil, chopped tomatoes, white wine and a bouquet garni. Potatoes are added partway through the long, gentle simmer, and black olives are stirred in toward the end, so the fish, vegetables and sauce all finish cooking together. Households differ on how much chili or cayenne to add, how long the stockfish soaks beforehand, and whether a splash of brandy goes into the sauce. What stays constant is the slow simmer needed to soften the dried fish fully and let the tomato, wine and olive oil reduce into a sauce that coats the potatoes.