Portugal · Portugal
Bacalhau à Brás (Salt Cod with Eggs and Straw Potatoes)
Shredded salt cod tossed with matchstick potatoes, onions and scrambled eggs into a soft, golden skillet.
Bacalhau à brás is Portugal's great Friday dish, built from salt cod that keeps through Lent and the other fast days of the year, and the version Porto argues over is the one people mean. Nothing is fried separately; potato, onion and cod all meet the pan together with softly scrambled egg. Keeping that egg loose instead of letting it set into firm curds is what makes the plate feel like one soft mass.
Ingredients
- salt cod, soaked and shredded600 g
- potato, peeled and cut into matchsticks500 g
- yellow onion, thinly sliced2 pieces
- eggs, beaten6 pieces
- olive oil80 ml
- flat-leaf parsley, chopped15 g
- garlic cloves, minced3 pieces
- fine salt1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- olive oil for frying2 ml
Directions
- 1
If using salt cod, soak in cold water for 24 hours, changing water 3 times; drain and shred.
Cod flakes easily and smells clean, not briny. - 2
Pat the potato matchsticks dry and fry in hot oil until pale gold and crisp; drain on paper.
Potatoes are pale gold and sizzle quietly when drained. - 3
In a wide skillet, soften onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Onion is translucent and smells sweet. - 4
Add the shredded cod and toss to coat for 2 minutes until heated through.
Cod is opaque and flakes apart when stirred. - 5
Lower the heat, add the fried potatoes and beaten eggs and stir until the eggs just set into soft curds.
Eggs set into soft ribbons that hold the dish together without being dry. - 6
Scatter parsley over the top and serve immediately with a green salad.
Dish is fragrant and ready to plate.
Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content