Ingredients
Cod
- 600 gsalt cod loin
- 500 mlmilk, for the final soak
The dish
- 800 gwaxy potatoes
- 3large onions, thinly sliced
- 4 clovesgarlic, sliced
- 150 mlgood olive oil
- 2bay leaves
- black pepper
To finish
- 3hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 80 gblack olives
- chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Soak the salt cod in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours, changing the water four or five times. Thick loin pieces may need 36 hours. Taste a corner before you stop: it should be pleasantly salty, not aggressive.
- Drain, then cover with the milk and leave 2 hours. This is the step that distinguishes this dish — the milk softens the cod and rounds off the last of the salt.
- Boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender, cool slightly, peel and cut into 5 mm slices.
- Cook the onions and garlic very slowly in most of the olive oil with the bay for 25 minutes, until completely soft and sweet but not browned. Onions cooked hard and coloured make a different, coarser dish.
- Drain the cod, discard the milk, and flake it into large pieces, removing skin and bones. Keep the flakes generous — shredded cod disappears into the potatoes.
- Fold the cod, potatoes and onions together gently in a baking dish, season with pepper and pour the remaining oil over. No salt: the cod carries it.
- Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes until heated through and just catching at the edges.
- Top with sliced egg, olives and plenty of parsley, and serve straight from the dish.
Technique
- The soak is the recipe. Under-soaked bacalhau is inedible and no amount of milk, potato or oil will save it.
- Use good olive oil and use all of it. This is a dish of cod, potato, onion and oil, and the oil is a main ingredient rather than a cooking medium.
- Fold, do not stir. The point is distinct flakes and slices, not a mash.
Substitutions
- Fresh cod, salted yourself for 24 hours, if salt cod is unavailable — a different thing but a good one.
- Ready-soaked frozen bacalhau, sold in Portuguese shops, skips step 1 entirely.
Variations
- Bacalhau à Brás, shredded with straw potatoes and bound with egg.
- Bacalhau com natas, the same elements baked under cream.
History
Created in 19th-century Porto by José Luís Gomes de Sá Júnior, son of a bacalhau merchant, who passed the recipe to a friend.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá?
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a main from Portugal: salt cod baked with potatoes, onions, olives and boiled egg. Created in 19th-century Porto by José Luís Gomes de Sá Júnior, son of a bacalhau merchant, who passed the recipe to a friend.
How long does Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá take to make?
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá takes 25 min plus 24 hr soaking of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá?
Yes, within limits. Fresh cod, salted yourself for 24 hours, if salt cod is unavailable — a different thing but a good one. Ready-soaked frozen bacalhau, sold in Portuguese shops, skips step 1 entirely.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá?
Use good olive oil and use all of it. This is a dish of cod, potato, onion and oil, and the oil is a main ingredient rather than a cooking medium.
