Bacalhau (Codfish)
This week we decided to bring to you a salty taste of Portugal, Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá. Made with salted Codfish or Bacalhau is a delicious must try!
There is an interesting story behind the Portuguese obsession with Bacalhau, a dried and salted codfish that has been for centuries the main staple in Portuguese cuisine. It all started around 500 years ago, when Portuguese fishermen ventured out of Europe and started fishing off the coast of Newfoundland. As cod was picked so far away, before fridges were available, and to make it all the way home, the ancient techniques of drying and salting to preserve food were used.
Salt was produced in large quantities in Portugal, which made it easier to use it in preserving fresh codfish. Also, because codfish is low on oils and fats it is easier to preserve. As this way of preserving codfish made it taste better too, it stuck in the Portuguese palate and has never since changed. Ironically, cod is no longer fished by Portuguese, who cannot find this fish in their local shores. Instead throughout time, Brits and now Norwegians and Canadians are the main exporters of codfish that end up in the Portuguese plates.
There is a variety of codfish based recipes. Here, we share
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá – a salty taste of Portugal
Ingredients
- 1 kg Codfish in small pieces (boneless)
- 2 kg of potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 cup olive oil
- 6 boiled eggs
- 1 cup olives
- 2 tsp chopped parsley
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
Method
- In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes with salt and cook for 10 minutes. Place the codfish in the same pan with the potatoes and cook for a few minutes until tender.
- After cooked, put the codfish aside to let it cool along with the potatoes. Slice the potatoes into thin slices.
- In a large pan, sauté sliced onions, add the salt and bay leaf and a half cup of the olive oil. Cook it until translucent. Add the garlic, remove the bay leaf, and let the onions cool for a few minutes.
- In a large tray, layer the potatoes first, second the cod, and then the onions. End with the onions on the top, cover with foil, and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the eggs cut in slices on top of the onion and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and add parsley and olives for garnish.
This dish goes very well with a nice glass of white wine. Enjoy the deliciousness brought by the Portuguese fishermen of so many centuries ago.
Check out our other delicious Codfish recipe: Pasteis de Bacalhau!
