Bacalhau à Brás
Salt cod gently poached in olive oil, folded through crisp matchstick potatoes, sweet onion and softly set eggs, finished with parsley and black olives.
Serves four; soak for one to two days, cook for about one hour.
INGREDIENTS
- 450 g salt cod (bacalhau), thick pieces
- 500 ml olive oil, for poaching the cod
- 500 g potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold), peeled
- 500 ml olive oil, for frying the potatoes
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 6 large eggs
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 12 black olives
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
METHOD
1. Soak the cod
Rinse the salt cod, then put it in a large bowl of cold water and cover it. Keep the bowl in the fridge, and change the water 3 or 4 times a day. Thin pieces need about a day; thick loins can take up to two. To check, tear off a small flake and taste it: it should be pleasantly seasoned, not salty.
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2. Poach in olive oil
Pat the cod dry and lay it in a small saucepan. Pour in the olive oil so it just covers the fish. Set the pan over the lowest heat; the oil should barely shimmer and never bubble. Poach for about 20 minutes, until the cod turns opaque and separates into flakes when nudged with a fork.
3. Flake the cod
Lift the cod out onto a plate and let it cool enough to handle. Pull it into large flakes, discarding any skin and bones. Save 4 tablespoons of the poaching oil for the onions.
4. Cut the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into very thin matchsticks, or use the julienne blade of a mandoline. Rinse them in cold water and dry them thoroughly in a clean towel, because wet potatoes will spit in the hot oil.
5. Fry the potatoes
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan until a potato stick sizzles on contact. Fry the potatoes in small batches until golden and crisp, about 5–6 minutes per batch. Drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with the salt.
6. Cook the onions
Warm the reserved poaching oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook slowly, stirring now and then, for about 12 minutes, until soft, sweet and golden at the edges.
7. Add cod and potatoes
Add the flaked cod to the onions and warm it through for a minute or two. Then toss in the potatoes.
8. Stir in the eggs
Beat the eggs with the black pepper and pour them over everything. Turn the heat to low and stir gently and constantly until the eggs are just set and creamy, like soft scrambled eggs.
Take the pan off the heat a moment early, because they will keep cooking. Taste, and add a pinch more salt if needed.
9. Serve
Spoon onto warm plates, scatter with the parsley and olives, and eat straight away while the potatoes still have some crunch.
NOTES
Shortcut: buy a bag of ready-made potato sticks (batata palha) and skip the frying.
Food safety: keep the cod in the fridge the whole time it soaks. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, eat
them within 2 days, and reheat until piping hot all the way through.
Allergens: fish (cod) and eggs
