Bacalhau à Brás

Bacalhau à Brás (Salt Cod, Potato, and Egg Scramble)

A classic Portuguese dish of flaked salt cod, thin fried potatoes, and softly scrambled eggs, finished with olives and parsley.

Prep

30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) desalted salt cod, from about 200 g (7 oz) dried; soak in water, refrigerated, for 24–48 h, changing water 3–4 times, then drain, remove skin/bones, and flake
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) starchy potatoes (e.g., Maris Piper), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks (about 3 mm / ⅛ inch)
• •300 g (10½ oz) onions, thinly sliced (about 2 large)
• •4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional, but traditional)
• •4 large eggs
• •150 ml (5 fl oz (about ⅔ cup)) olive oil, for frying, plus extra if needed
• •100 g (3½ oz) black olives (pitted), sliced or whole, for garnish
• •1 small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
• •1 generous pinch salt, to taste (remember cod is salty, so taste before adding)
• •1 generous pinch freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 If using dried salt cod, soak it in a large container of water in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours, changing the water 3–4 times. Drain, remove any skin and bones, and flake the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
2. 2 Put the potato matchsticks in a bowl of cold water and soak for 10 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain well and pat thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel.
3. 3 Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan (or a wok) over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes in batches (do not overcrowd) for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil from the pan.
4. 4 Lower the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic (if using) and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
5. 5 Add the flaked cod to the onion mixture and stir gently for 2–3 minutes, allowing the fish to heat through and absorb the flavors. The cod is already cured, but it needs to reach an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) to be safe; it will be fully cooked when it flakes easily and is hot all the way through.
6. 6 Return the fried potatoes to the pan and toss everything together gently to combine.
7. 7 In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt (go easy – the cod is salty) and a few grinds of pepper. Pour the eggs evenly over the cod and potato mixture. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously with a spatula for 2–3 minutes, until the eggs are softly scrambled – creamy and just set, but not dry. The eggs must reach 71°C (160°F) to be safe; they will look glossy and slightly moist, but no raw liquid egg remains.
8. 8 Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a warm serving platter and scatter with the olives and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.