Portuguese love bacalhau (BAA-ka-lau, except that “lh” together means you give it kind of a “yuh” sound there in the middle) which is dried and salted codfish. It’s a staple food for them all year ’round and you’ll find it everywhere in the country. We’re not out of line to say bacalhau is one of Portugal’s most treasured dishes.
Historically, cod was fished in the distant waters around Greenland and Newfoundland. In the 14th century, England and Portugal’s trade treaties exchanged salt for codfish. Salting the fish preserved it for those long voyages, a technique they learned from the Norwegians whose Viking forbearers had been doing so since the 800s. For centuries this fish was a food exclusive to the royal house and aristocracy. In the 16th century, a business network established by Portuguese, Basque, and British ship-owners began to bring back larger quantities of the fish and it’s use began to filter down into the growing merchant and middle-class populace.
Interesting side note: The fish was so important to the history and development of Massachusetts, the state’s House of Representatives hung a wood carving of a codfish, known as the Sacred Cod of Massachusetts, in its chambers.
Historically, the codfish curing process started on board the cod fishing ships, where it was salted immediately. After reaching land, the fish was washed to remove all the salt and dried until dehydrated. The codfish drying process took place outdoors in the Algarve, on the South Bank of the Tagus, in Setúbal, Figueira da Foz, Aveiro and Viana do Castelo. It was generally a job performed by women.
We confess we haven’t tried making bacalhau at home — the de-salting process just feels too hard — but enjoy it a great deal when out and about. (One thing that a lot of immigrant Americans here have to get over is the idea that it’s going to be incredibly salty when the time comes to eat it. Sure, you can make it salty, but the salt that it is stored with all gets washed out during the hydration process – if it’s still salty at that point you aren’t done soaking it!) That said, here are two recipes we’ve been given by people who make fantastic versions of the dish. Using frozen (not salted) cod will get you the yummy food without the hassle.
Bacalhau Com Natas (Salted Portuguese Codfish with Cream)
This is a dish of shredded codfish layered with potatoes, fried onions, and cream, Baked, bacalhau com natas is usually served casserole-style with a broiled, crispy, topping of cheese. The cod tastes fresh and the flesh is tender and soft with a flavorful cream that just melts in the mouth.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed, about 1 inch/ 2cm
1.3 lbs cod fillets fresh or desalted
1 large white onion, peeled and sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
¼ cup olive oil (preferably Portuguese)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup cream
salt and black pepper to taste
parsley fresh, chopped for garnish
For the bechamel sauce
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
salt and black pepper to taste
nutmeg, to taste
Instructions
Make the bechamel sauce:
Place cod in medium sized sauce pan and add milk. Cook the cod in the milk over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes. (Do not let the milk boil — it will taste burned. After ten minutes, strain the cod and set aside. Keep the cod-flavored milk.
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Immediately after the butter melts, add the flour, and stir until clumps form. Add the warm cod-flavored milk to the flour. Gently stir with a whisk until lumps disappear. Season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste.
Finish by beating the milk mixture until you get a creamy consistency. Remove pan from heat and reserve.
Make cod and potatoes:
Place the cod on your kitchen work space, and cut into medium pieces. Dry the potato cubes.
Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts bubbling, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add the dry cubed potatoes to the onion mixture. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the cod pieces into the pan with the bechamel sauce and stir gently. Then add the potato mixture. Stir, and remove from heat.
Assemble the dish:
Mix cream and grated mozzarella cheese in a small bowl.
In a large baking dish, place the mixture of potatoes, cream, and cod.
Top with cream and grated mozzarella cheese.
Place in a preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes at 300°F /150°C. Remove from the oven when it looks golden on top.
Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Serves: 4
Note: This recipe needs to be done all at once as several components need to be warm.
If you are using salted cod, start preparing the recipe two days in advance. Start by rinsing the cod with a little running water. Then, place it inside an airtight container, with a lid. Fill the container with enough water to cover the cod at least partially. Keep it inside the fridge. Every six hours, remove the cod from the fridge, drain the water, and top up again with more freshwater. This process removes the salt from the cod. If you are using ready to cook cod fish pieces, start by thawing them out if they are frozen.
Bacalhau a Bras
This is a delightful combination of codfish stir-fried with potatoes and eggs.
Ingredients
1 lb salted codfish or fresh cod pieces
1 lb potatoes, peeled (or pre-cut shoestring potatoes)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 eggs
15 black olives
2 cups olive oil (preferably Portuguese)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Carefully add the desalted codfish to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and let the codfish simmer in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Carefully drain the codfish using a colander. Allow the codfish to cool before shredding it into small pieces using your hands or a fork. Set aside.
Prepare the shoestring potatoes: Cut potatoes lengthwise in thin strips to resemble matchsticks or shoestrings. Place the matchstick potatoes in water as you finish cutting them to prevent them from turning dark. Rinse the potato sticks in a colander under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Dry.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the potato sticks in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Set aside.
In the large skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the sliced onions until soft and translucent.
Add cooked shredded codfish and matchstick potatoes to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until the codfish is cooked through and the potatoes are well mixed with the onions.
Pour the beaten eggs into the codfish and potato mixture in the skillet. Turn off the heat and gently mix everything together. Let the residual heat from the skillet cook the eggs until they are just set but still creamy.
Transfer the bacalhau à brás to a serving dish and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and black olives.
Serves: 4
Note: This recipe needs to be done all at once as several components need to be warm.
If you are using salted cod, start preparing the recipe two days in advance. Start by rinsing the cod with a little running water. Then, place it inside an airtight container, with a lid. Fill the container with enough water to cover the cod at least partially. Keep it inside the fridge. Every six hours, remove the cod from the fridge, drain the water, and top up again with more freshwater. This process removes the salt from the cod. If you are using ready to cook cod fish pieces, start by thawing them out if they are frozen.
