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Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
Baked salt cod and potatoes
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: Porto's baked flaked salt cod with potatoes, onions, eggs and olives
Named after the Porto cod merchant who is said to have created it in the late nineteenth century, this is the city's most loved salt cod dish and a fixture of Christmas Eve and family gatherings across the north. Cod is soaked, warmed in milk, flaked and baked with sliced potatoes and plenty of onions softened in olive oil, then crowned with hard-boiled eggs and black olives. Chef's tip: steep the cod in hot milk rather than boiling it, so the flakes stay moist and come apart in big, glossy pieces.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb thick salt coddry weight, soaked 36–48 hours in the fridge
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ lb waxy potatoeswashed, skins on
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 onionsthinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 eggs
- 2 ⅞ oz black olives
- 3 tbsp parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak the 1 ⅓ lb thick salt cod skin side up in cold water in the fridge for 36–48 hours, changing the water 3–4 times a day, until a flake tastes pleasantly seasoned rather than salty.
15 minStep 2: Bring the 2 cups whole milk to the boil, add the cod, cover and take off the heat. Leave for 30 minutes, until the cod is opaque and flakes easily.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile, boil the 1 ½ lb waxy potatoes in their skins for 20 minutes, until tender, then peel and slice 1 cm thick. Hard-boil the 3 eggs for 10 minutes, cool in cold water and quarter.
20 minStep 5: Drain the cod, remove the skin and bones and break it into large flakes. A common mistake is shredding it finely, which makes the dish dry.
5 minStep 6: Gently fold the cod and potatoes into the onions and their oil, season with the ½ tsp black pepper and tip into an ovenproof dish.
3 minStep 7: Bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and lightly golden on top. Arrange the eggs and 2 ⅞ oz black olives over the top and scatter with 3 tbsp parsley.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bacalhau à Gomes de Sá take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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