Bacalhau à Brás (Shredded Salt Cod with Eggs and Potato Straws)
In short: Flaked salt cod, thin fried potatoes and soft onions bound with barely set eggs, finished with black olives and parsley. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 24 h
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Bacalhau à Brás is a fixture on Lisbon restaurant menus and on home tables across Portugal. Soaked salt cod is shredded and tossed with soft onions and crisp matchstick potatoes, then bound with eggs that stay creamy rather than scrambled dry. Black olives and parsley finish it. The dish is quick once the cod has been soaked, which takes a day or two of planning, and it suits a weeknight as well as a gathering.
Instructions
- Soak the cod in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water 4 or 5 times. Break off a flake and taste it: it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh.
- Put the soaked cod in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a bare simmer. Switch off the heat, cover and leave for 10 minutes, then drain. Remove the skin and bones and shred the fish into small flakes.
- Rinse the potato matchsticks in cold water, then dry them very well on a clean towel. Heat the sunflower oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes until pale gold and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- Warm the olive oil in a wide, deep pan over medium-low heat. Cook the onions with the bay leaf for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and just golden. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Add the cod flakes and stir for 3 to 4 minutes so they take on the flavor of the onions. Season with black pepper, then fold in about three quarters of the fried potatoes.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look glossy and loose, because they keep cooking in the hot mixture.
- Remove the bay leaf. Spoon the cod onto a platter, top with the remaining potatoes, the olives and the parsley, and serve at once.
Tips
- Short on time? Buy cod that is already desalted and use bagged potato straws. Fresh-fried potatoes stay crisper, but the bagged kind works on a weeknight.
- Pull the pan off the heat as soon as the eggs begin to set. The residual heat finishes them, and the result is creamy instead of dry.
Questions and answers
Can I make bacalhau à Brás ahead of time?
Prepare the soaked cod, fried potatoes and soft onions up to a day ahead and keep them apart. Combine them and add the eggs just before serving so the texture stays creamy and the potatoes stay crisp.
Can I use fresh cod instead of salt cod?
You can, but the flavor will be milder and the flakes softer. Poach the fresh fish, flake it and season the dish more generously with salt and pepper.
What do you serve with bacalhau à Brás?
A green salad and a glass of chilled vinho verde (a young, lightly sparkling Portuguese white wine) are the classic partners. Crusty bread is welcome too.
How long does it take to make Bacalhau à Brás (Shredded Salt Cod with Eggs and Potato Straws)?
About 1 h in total: 30 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Bacalhau à Brás (Shredded Salt Cod with Eggs and Potato Straws)?
About 480 kcal per serving, with 35 g of protein, 22 g of carbohydrates and 27 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 480 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 35 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 1000 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
