Bacalhau à Brás (Portuguese salt cod with eggs)
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the salt cod in plenty of cold water in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water 3 to 4 times. Drain, remove the skin and bones, then shred it by hand.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into very thin matchsticks. Rinse, dry thoroughly, then fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes in oil at 170 °C until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
- In a large frying pan, gently soften the finely sliced onions, chopped garlic and bay leaf in the olive oil for 10 minutes without colouring.
- Add the shredded cod and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove the bay leaf, then stir in the matchstick potatoes.
- Beat the eggs with pepper and half the chopped parsley. Turn the heat to its lowest, pour in the eggs and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy and barely set. Taste before adding salt.
- Serve straight away, scattered with the rest of the parsley and the black olives.
Notes
Shredded salt cod, crisp matchstick potatoes and creamy eggs: bacalhau à Brás is one of Portugal’s best-loved dishes. Here is our traditional bacalhau à Brás recipe, simple and generous, ready in under an hour once the cod has been soaked.
The origins of bacalhau à Brás
Bacalhau à Brás comes from Lisbon. Legend has it that it was created by a tavern keeper called Brás, or Braz, in the Bairro Alto district. No precise date is known, but the dish has become a classic of Lisbon tascas and family meals all over the country.
How to soak salt cod
To soak salt cod properly, put it in plenty of cold water, skin side up, in the fridge. Allow 24 hours for thin fillets and up to 48 hours for thick pieces, changing the water 3 to 4 times. Taste a small piece: it should still be slightly salty, without stinging.
Frozen, pre-soaked salt cod or fresh cod?
Frozen pre-soaked salt cod is an excellent shortcut: just thaw it and shred it. Fresh cod, however, is not salt cod: it is the same fish, but neither salted nor dried. It gives a milder dish with more delicate flesh, very good but different from the typical bacalhau flavour.
Homemade straw potatoes
Homemade straw potatoes are what make the dish so special. Cut the potatoes into very thin matchsticks with a mandoline or a knife, then rinse them to remove the starch. Well dried and fried in small batches, they stay crisp even once mixed with the eggs.
An easy bacalhau à Brás
For an easy bacalhau à Brás, replace the homemade potatoes with 150 g of shop-bought straw potatoes from a bag. In Portugal this is a very common habit at home. With pre-soaked cod, the dish is then ready in 20 minutes.
Creamy eggs, not an omelette
The secret of bacalhau à Brás is barely set eggs. Pour them in over a very low heat and stir constantly: they should coat the cod and potatoes like a sauce. If they overcook, the dish turns dry and looks like an omelette.
Bacalhau à Brás with or without cream?
The authentic recipe is made without cream: only the eggs bind the dish. Some modern versions add a little cream for extra softness. It is a possible variation, but it masks the flavour of the cod and isn’t traditional.
Parsley or coriander?
Bacalhau à Brás is traditionally topped with flat-leaf parsley and black olives. Coriander is widely used elsewhere in Portuguese cooking, but not in this dish. A grind of black pepper is enough to lift it.
Oven-baked bacalhau à Brás
For an oven-baked bacalhau à Brás, make the mixture as in the recipe, leaving the eggs still very runny. Pour it into a dish and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C. Handy for entertaining, this version is a little less creamy.
Bacalhau à Brás in a Thermomix
In a Thermomix, chop the onions and garlic for 5 seconds on speed 5, add the olive oil and bay leaf, then sauté for 8 minutes at 120 °C on speed 1. Add the shredded cod and cook for 5 minutes at 100 °C, reverse, spoon speed. Then tip everything into a frying pan with the straw potatoes and bind with the eggs over a low heat.
Bacalhau à Brás calories
A portion of bacalhau à Brás provides about 560 kcal and 34 g of protein. Cod is a lean fish: the calories come mainly from the fried potatoes and the oil. With a green salad, it makes a complete meal.
What to serve with bacalhau à Brás
Serve it with a green salad or a tomato and onion salad, and a glass of well-chilled vinho verde. For a full Portuguese menu, finish with our pastéis de nata. If you like eggs and potatoes together, also try Spanish tortilla de patatas, or Norwegian fiskekaker for another fish dish from the North. Our spice guide helps you vary the flavours of your meals.
Storing bacalhau à Brás
Bacalhau à Brás is best eaten straight away, while the potatoes are still crisp. Leftovers keep for 1 day in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a frying pan without overcooking. This dish doesn’t freeze well.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my bacalhau à Brás too salty?
The cod wasn’t soaked long enough. Soak it for longer and change the water more often, and always taste the cod before salting the dish.
Can bacalhau à Brás be made ahead?
You can soak and shred the cod and soften the onions the day before. Add the potatoes and eggs only when you are ready to serve.
