Bacalhau à Brás
Bacalhau à Brás is one of the 365 salt cod preparations that Portuguese cooking claims — a recipe for every day of the year. The dish originates from a tavern in Lisbon's Bairro Alto district in the nineteenth century, where someone named Brás combined desalted cod with very thin matchstick fries and beaten eggs. The salt cod must be soaked for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, with the water changed several times, to draw out the excess salt. The potato strips need to be very thin and fried crisp before they go in — if they are not already crispy when added, they will turn soft. The eggs go in over low heat and are stirred gently; they should be barely set and creamy rather than fully cooked through. Black olives and fresh parsley finish the dish.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g salted cod (bacalhau), soaked 24–48h in cold water and shredded into flakes
- 600g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into very thin matchstick strips
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 80g black olives, pitted, to serve
- Salt and white pepper to taste
How to make it
- 1Soak the shredded cod in cold water, changing the water four times over 24–48 hours until a small piece tastes pleasantly savoury rather than sharp; drain and pat dry.
- 2Cut potatoes into very thin matchstick strips; heat 2cm of neutral oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C and fry the potato strips in batches for 3–4 minutes until pale golden; drain on paper.
- 3Discard the frying oil and wipe the pan; heat olive oil over medium-low heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes until very soft and lightly golden.
- 4Add the cod flakes and stir for 2 minutes until warmed through; tip in the potato strips and toss once.
- 5Pour in the beaten eggs seasoned with white pepper; stir continuously over low heat with slow, wide folds for 2–3 minutes — the eggs should set in soft, creamy layers, never dry or granular.
- 6Remove from heat while the eggs still look slightly underdone; residual heat finishes the dish; taste for salt before adding any — the cod may already hold enough; scatter with parsley and serve straight from the pan with black olives alongside.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
