Learn how to make our Cruise Manager’s favorite bacalahau à brás.
The traditional Portuguese codfish dish, bacalhau à brás, holds a special meaning for many throughout Portugal.
Portugal’s codfish tale cannot be told without briefly delving into its rich history of sea discoveries. Since the 16th century, Portuguese codfish fleets embarked on months-long journeys to Newfoundland and returned to the countryside with this highly prized fish. Customarily, codfish has been salted and served dried as it is the perfect fish to preserve for lengthy periods of time.
Prepared with potatoes and onions, bacalhau à brás makes a flavorful meal – and one of our Cruise Manager Abel’s very favorites. We are delighted to share with you his own personal recipe so you can try your hand at one of Portugal’s most adored dishes.
Ingredients
- 300 g (approx. 10 oz.) salted codfish
- 3 potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1 onion
- 20 black olives
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ¼ cup of freshly chopped parsley
- Salt
Preparation:
- The evening prior to cooking, place the codfish in a large bowl with fresh water and replace the water every 6-8 hours until the cod is completely unsalted and rehydrated. Then shred the codfish in small flakes with your hand and drain any excess of water.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them in very thin match-size sticks, soak them in cold water for 10 minutes and dry them very well. Then fry the potatoes in a pan with olive oil until golden and crunchy.
- Slice the onion into julienne strips and sauté in a little oil in a large non-stick pan. Once it is tender and golden add the codfish flakes. After a few minutes, when the codfish looks solid white, add the fried potatoes and stir for a minute. Then lower the heat.
- Beat the eggs and add them to the pan. Stir the mixture carefully until the eggs begins to set. Then turn the heat off so that the eggs are still a bit runny.
- Finally add the chopped parsley and the black olives to decorate.
Makes 4 servings.
Bom apetite!
Explore the rich culture along the Douro River and sample the flavors of Portuguese cuisine with our Enticing Douro and Flavors of Portugal & Spain itineraries.