Bacalhau is one of my favorite fish that I grew up eating and loving and can be made hundreds of ways.
So, what is bacalhau?
Bacalhau is Portuguese for salted cod fish. It is a staple ingredient in Portuguese cooking and a very popular fish to eat in almost any Portuguese restaurant or home around the world, especially in the Portuguese culture.
Since Portugal is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on half of its country, fresh seafood is relatively abundant. Fish and shellfish are part of Portugal’s livelihood and cultural history. All kinds of fish are used in Portuguese cuisine. I would say the second most popular fish to eat in this beautiful country are fresh sardines and they are delicious and packed with heart healthy omega-3s. (I’ll be sharing that recipe as soon as I make it this summer) 😉
Salting cod was a process used in a time when there were no freezing units. Fisherman would make their way North to Newfoundland to fish for cod. To help preserve this fish, fisherman would gut and clean it and lay them flat adding layers of salt. Once they returned home, they would dry them in the sun to dehydrate them to help keep them preserved for long periods of time.
Now, in order to eat salted cod, it is important to de-salt and hydrate them before they can be cooked and eaten. Trust me you don’t want to eat salted cod without taking those steps, it isn’t very appetizing. 😉
We usually buy salted cod, anywhere from 10- 15 lbs worth at a time and cut it into pieces and place it in a bucket with cold water. Usually for 2-3 days. Changing the water 1-2 times a day. Keep bucket in a cool place during this process. On the second day, I try a piece of cod to taste the salt level. If I still taste way too much salt, I’ll leave it to soak for another day. You don’t want to do this process and eliminate all the salt because it’ll lose its flavor and won’t be the same. Salted cod, even after de-salting and hydrating should still have some salt to really make it tasty and keep its authenticity in any cod fish recipe. It can be a little bit of an acquired taste, but if you don’t want any salt in your fish, I would recommend buying cod fish filet at your local fish market. It is equally tasty and less work. After this process, I drain all the water from the cod fish by placing it on a cookie cooling sheet and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes. I pat dry each piece with paper towels and then vacuum seal the cod and freeze it. Cod fish freezes well and can last for a few months when frozen.
Stay tuned for cod fish filet recipes, coming soon!
Bacalhau à Brás is one of my absolute favorite cod recipes. I have seen it made so many different ways, but this recipe is how I love to eat it.
This dish takes some prep work, but I promise it is all worth it when you take the first bite! It just soothes my soul and brings me back to my roots and my mama’s cooking.
Potatoes
I like making my own homemade matchstick-sized potatoes. Some cooks buy them already made almost like a potato chip in a bag, but I like homemade fried potatoes better.
I love Yukon potatoes, feel free to use a Russet potato for this recipe. I slice the potato thinly horizontally and then vertically. I don’t like cutting them super thin, but thin enough that I can still taste the potato when it fries.
If you have a mandolin slicer, those work great too.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 ℉ using a candy thermometer to prepare for frying these little suckers! 😉
Electronic deep fryers, or an air fryer work well too. Make sure to get these potatoes nice and golden brown. The toastier, the better! It’ll help keep its shape.
Cut the potatoes, rinse them with water and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes to drain out all the water. Then, using paper towels or a kitchen towel, pat potatoes dry as much as possible to get rid of all the excess water before tossing them into hot oil. Be careful you don’t burn yourself. Oil is no joke when hot! 🙁
Beat all 5 eggs in a bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk and set aside.
Turn up heat on your skillet on medium to high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add in cod fish. Stir and let sit for a few minutes until water evaporates. Cod fish will let out some water while cooking. This is normal. Then add in fried potatoes and mix well.
Finally, pour in beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing after every pour and let it blend and cook well. Add in parsley and black pepper. I like to sprinkle a little sea salt or red pepper flakes to give it a little extra kick, but that is completely optional. The salt from the cod fish will definitely release its flavors into this dish as you cook leaving it with just the right amount of saltiness needed to make this dish one of a kind. If you feel it needs more, then have at it! 😉
You can serve this in a dish or straight from your skillet. Garnish with parsley and black olives, or any olives of your choosing. I love calamata olives and usually have them in my refrigerator, so that’s what I used for this recipe.
Bom apetite! Enjoy your meal! 😉
Bacalhau à Brás (Braised Cod)
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 Deep Fryer
Ingredients
- 700 g of bacalhau, salted cod raw, shredded and deboned
- 8-10 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and thinly chopped into matchstick- sized
- 1 onion sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves sliced or minced
- 2-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- Salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 5 whole eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup black olives for garnishing
Instructions
- Peel potatoes, rinse with water and thinly chop them.
- Let them drain in a colander and pat dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel, or cheese cloth.
- Fry them until super golden brown, set aside.
- Take cod fish and pull apart, shred with your fingers making sure to discard any bones.
- Slice onions and garlic
- Heat pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on medium-high heat.
- Toss onions and garlic into skillet until onions are translucent
- Add shredded cod fish. Let cook for a few minutes until all water evaporates.
- Add fried potatoes, toss
- Add parsley, toss
- Add in beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing after every time. When eggs look cooked, add in some ground black pepper, sea salt and red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Garnish with more parsley and black olives.
- Bom apetite! Enjoy your meal!
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