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Bacalhoada
Baked salt cod with potatoes
Bacalhoada: Brazilian oven-baked salt cod with potatoes, peppers, eggs, olives and plenty of olive oil
Brought by Portuguese settlers, bacalhoada has become the dish for Good Friday and Christmas in Brazilian homes, especially in São Paulo and Rio, where big Portuguese communities kept the tradition alive. Thick flakes of desalted cod are layered with sliced potatoes, onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and black olives, drowned in good olive oil and baked until golden. Plan two days ahead for soaking the cod. Chef's tip: be generous with the olive oil, which is what turns the potatoes silky and carries all the flavour.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb thick salt cod loins
- 2 ¼ lb waxy potatoespeeled and sliced 1 cm thick
- 4 eggs
- 3 onionssliced into rings
- 1 red peppersliced into strips
- 1 green peppersliced into strips
- 2 tomatoessliced
- 6 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 ⅞ oz black olives
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh parsleychopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Two days ahead, rinse the 1 ¾ lb thick salt cod loins and soak it in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge for 48 hours, changing the water 3 times a day. Soaking it at room temperature is a common mistake; keep it cold. Taste a small flake: it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh.
0 minStep 2: Put the cod in a pan of fresh water, bring just to a simmer and poach for 5 minutes. Drain, remove the skin and bones and break it into large flakes.
12 minStep 3: Boil the 2 ¼ lb waxy potatoes in water for 8 minutes until just tender at the edges but still firm. Boil the 4 eggs for 10 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and quarter.
12 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 400°F. Warm half the ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and soften the 3 onions, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 6 cloves garlic for 6 minutes.
6 minStep 5: In a large ovenproof dish, layer half the potatoes, then the cod, the softened vegetables and the 2 tomatoes, then the rest of the potatoes. Season with the ½ tsp black pepper, tuck in the eggs and 2 ⅞ oz black olives and pour over the rest of the olive oil.
8 minStep 6: Bake for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and golden at the edges and the cod is opaque and flakes easily. Scatter with 3 tbsp fresh parsley and serve.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bacalhoada take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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