salt cod

Traditional bacalhoada or bacalao, a Portuguese salt cod stew made with salt cod, potatoes, onions, hard boiled eggs, olives, and lots of olive oil.

Portuguese Salt Cod Stew (Bacalao or Bacalhoada)

olive oil

Milk (optional)

large yellow or sweet Vidalia onions, sliced

potatoes

eggs,

olives

salt and black pepper

"My family, from St. Michael in the Azores always did the first soak of the fish in milk then switched to water for the rest of the soaking, and NEVER used milk in the actual casserole."

"That's not the recipe my very portuguese mother made. The real recipe includes sliced tomatoes and absolutely NO milk or eggs. This must be a Brazilian version, not the real one."

"There doesn’t seem to be any liquid in it. It doesn’t dry out on stovetop?"

Soak salt cod in water: Salt cod typically comes either in dry fillets, already boned and skinned, or it comes whole. The fillets need to be rinsed, then soaked in water, and kept chilled, for 24 hours, with one or two changes of the water.
 
If you are using a whole fish, not prepared fillets, it needs to be soaked in water for up to 48 hours, also with several changes of water, and the bones and the skin removed and discarded after soaking.

Simmer salt cod in milk and/or water: Put salt cod in a saucepan. Add enough milk, water, or a mixture of milk and water to just cover. Bring mixture to a simmer. Let simmer for a couple minutes. Remove the fish and set aside.

Parboil potatoes and slice: Parboil the potatoes for 20 minutes (you can cook them in the water you used to cook the fish if you want). Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Layer casserole with onions, potatoes, salt cod, olive oil, pepper, then top with hard boiled eggs and olives: In a large pyrex casserole or Dutch oven (use Dutch oven if making on stove-top), generously coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Place a layer of onion rings over the bottom of the pan.
Place a layer of sliced potatoes over the onions.
 
Breaking up the salt cod with your fingers, place pieces of salt cod in a layer over the potatoes. Taste the fish for saltiness. After a day of soaking and further cooking, there should be just a hint of saltiness in the fish. If most of the salt was soaked out of the fish, and the fish doesn't taste at all salty, you may need to sprinkle some salt back on to the fish as you place the layers down.
Generously pour some olive oil over the fish. Sprinkle with freshly grated black pepper.
 
Repeat with another layer of onions, potatoes, fish, olive oil, pepper (and more salt if needed).
Then finish with layers of onions, potatoes, more olive oil, sliced hard boiled eggs, and olives.

Cook on stovetop or bake: Place on stove top on medium heat, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Or heat an oven to 350°F and cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until everything is completely through.
Serve with sides of rice and salad.

"Really nice and comforting. Subtle flavours except for the olives, but I love it and so does our 2 year old. A new family favourite!"

Crispy, fluffy, irresistible salt cod fritters. Enjoy with a spicy perinaise sauce for dipping!

Portuguese Salt Cod Fritters

russet potato,

yellow onion, roughly chopped

garlic cloves, roughly chopped

eggs

tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

frying oil

tbsp peri-peri sauce

tbsp full-fat mayonnaise

Roughly 12 hours before cooking, or overnight, soak the salt cod filets in cold water. Refresh the water every 3-4 hours.

Once the salt cod has been desalinated, place the fish in a pot of fresh clean water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the fish and set aside to cool.

Once the cod is cool to the touch, gently flake the fish apart and remove all the bones.

Prep the Salt Cod

In a fresh pot of water, boil the russet potato chunks until fork tender. Strain the potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, add the cool fish, potatoes, and all remaining ingredients. Pulse until chunky but well-combined. This mix can be made in advance and set in the fridge until ready to fry.

Heat your frying oil to roughly 175°C. Using two spoons, scoop your fritter batter into a rough quenelle shape and drop into the fryer. Flip the fritters once while frying, and remove from the fryer when they reach a dark golden colour. Drain the fritters on a paper towel and serve immediately. Garnish with a sprinkling of finishing salt.

Combine the peri-peri sauce and mayo together in a side dish for a quick dipping sauce.

Make the Fritters

Make bite-sized salt cod fritters with a delectable Spanish allioli for the perfect finger food. Serve with lemon wedges and garlic mayo for dipping

Salt cod fritters with saffron allioli

bay leaf

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

plain flour

garlic

tbsp finely chopped parsley

lemon juice (reserve some lemon wedges to serve)

groundnut oil

lemon juice

tsp white wine vinegar

saffron

extra virgin olive oil

Put the salt cod in a saucepan with enough water to cover it and add a bay leaf. Bring to just under the boil, take the pan off the heat, put a lid on it and leave to sit for 10 mins. Lift the fish out onto a plate, reserving the cooking water. Flake the cod, removing the skin. Cook the potatoes in the salt cod cooking water until tender, about 12 mins depending on size. Drain, then put a clean tea towel over the pan, cover and leave for 5 mins or so (this helps the potatoes dry out a bit).

Bring 300ml water and the olive oil to the boil in a saucepan. Take the pan off the heat and immediately add the flour in a slow stream, whisking (use a balloon whisk) as you do so. You will end up with a batter, if it is a little lumpy, beat it hard. Leave to cool for about 5 mins. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until you have a smooth mixture – you need to beat hard.

Mash the potatoes with the salt cod, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and seasoning (even though you are using salt cod, this needs good seasoning). Beat the mixture into the batter, then cook over a low heat for about 8 mins, stirring all the time. The mixture should thicken considerably and come away from the sides of the pan. Put in a bowl, cover and leave to cool completely. Form the mixture into balls, bigger than walnuts but not as big as golf balls.

To make the allioli, gently heat the lemon juice and vinegar in a small pan. Add the saffron, stir to help it dissolve and leave it to sit for 15 mins. Put the garlic on a chopping board and, using salt as an abrasive, crush them to a paste. Put the egg yolks and garlic in a bowl. Using an electric whisk, slowly add the olive oil a drop at a time. As the mixture starts to thicken, you can increase the quantity. Gradually add the saffron mixture, then taste and season (the seasoning and how much lemon juice you use is really important).

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan (fill it no more than a third full) until it reaches 190C on a thermometer or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Deep-fry the balls, in batches, for 4 mins, or until deep golden. Drain on a double layer of kitchen paper and serve hot with the allioli and lemon wedges.

These Portuguese salt cod fritters, called pastéis de bacalhau, are made with salt cod, potato, onion, and parsley and are fried for a traditional Portuguese treat.

Pastéis de Bacalhau ~ Salt Cod Fritters

salted cod

russet potatoes (unpeeled)

onion (very finely chopped)

parsley

Vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

Boil

Boil the potatoes (preferably in their skins, so the potatoes don&#39;t absorb water). Peel the potatoes and mash or sieve them. Set aside.

Mash

Meantime, simmer the previous soaked cod in enough boiling water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the cod, discard the skin and bones, and flake the fish as much as you can with your fingers or a fork to reduce it to threads.☞TESTER TIP: The proper way of doing this is to place the flaked cod inside a clean cloth, fold it and squeeze and pound the contents of the cloth with your fists. In this way you will have mashed cod.

Mix the cod with the mashed potatoes and add the eggs, 1 by 1, and then the onion and parsley. Taste and, if desired, season with salt. You may not need to add any, as the cod itself retains quite a lot of saltiness, in spite of being soaked and boiled. The mixture should be quite stiff, enabling a spoon to stand up in it. If you find it excessively dry, add one or two tablespoons of milk. Allow this to cool completely before deep frying.

With two tablespoons, shape the fishcakes like large eggs and place them in the hot oil (370°F/190°C), turning them three or four times to get nicely browned all over. When cooked, lift them with a big fork or slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper, to absorb excess fat. Go on molding and frying until you use up the mixture.

How to desalt and cook salt cod easily for a flavorful, tender, and savory fish fillet. This incredible cured fish is high in protein and low in fat, making it an excellent choice for any meal!

How to Desalt and Cook Salt Cod

fillet salted cod (or more)

lemon (optional)

If you have a very large cod fillet, you can first cut it into 2 or several pieces. It&#39;s easiest to do so with scissors.

Carefully rinse the fish with fresh water. Make sure you cover it with water.Repeat this procedure 2-3 times if you feel like there’s too much salt left.

Soak the fish in some more fresh water and keep it in the fridge for 12-24 hours, in an airtight container. Make sure to change the water every few hours. 

Soak the Salt Cod

Either cook the whole piece once you&#39;ve soaked it long enough or take a small piece and boil it and then taste it. If it&#39;s too salty, just keep soaking the fish for a few more hours before cooking the whole fish.

Once you&#39;ve soaked the fish, rinse off any excess salt.

Place the cod in a pot with lots of water. Add a squeeze of lemon, if using.

Bring it to a gentle boil and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Don’t boil it vigorously, though, because the fish could become tough and rubbery.

Skim off any foam that&#39;s formed on top.

Once cooked, remove the fish bones using a fork and a spoon.

Cook the Salt Cod

Refrigerate any leftovers. It can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days.When the cooked fish has cooled completely, you can put it in a freezer bag and freeze it for about 2 months. To thaw, just put it in the refrigerator overnight. Once it has thawed, do not refreeze it.

How to Store

Soak the cod for 24 hours ahead of when you wish to cook this recipe. Blend or mash it to a light, silky texture - both comfort and luxury food!


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