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Greatest plates · Main
Bacalhau à Brás (Salt Cod with Straw Potatoes and Egg)
The classic Lisbon comfort dish: shredded salt cod tossed through matchstick potatoes and softly scrambled eggs, finished with black olives and parsley. Silky, savoury and deeply satisfying.
Serves 4Prep 30 minCook 25 minsalt cod
Containsegg · fish
Protein 52%Carbs 18%Fat 30%
About 893 kcal a serve — 112 g protein, 39 g carbs, 29 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Method
Soak the cod
make aheadSoak the salt cod in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge for 24–36 hours, changing the water 3–4 times. This removes the salt and rehydrates the fish. It should taste only mildly salty once soaked.
In the bowlsoaking →
24–36 hrs, fridge
Poach and flake
prepPut the soaked cod in a saucepan with the bay leaf, cover with water and bring just to a simmer. Poach gently for 8 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, remove any skin and bones and flake into coarse shreds.
In the saucepanpoaching →
simmer 8 min
Cut the potatoes
prepCut the peeled potatoes into fine matchsticks about 3–4 mm thick (or use the julienne setting on a box grater/mandoline). Rinse under cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with a tea towel.
On the boardcutting →
3–4 mm matchsticks
Fry the straw potatoes
cookHeat the frying oil in a deep pan to about 170°C. Fry the potato matchsticks in batches until golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes each batch. Lift out onto paper towel and season lightly with salt.
In the deep panfrying →
170°C, 3–4 min batches
Soften the onion
cookIn a large wide frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
In the panfrying →
medium, 8–10 min
Add cod and potatoes
cookAdd the flaked cod to the onions and warm through for 2 minutes. Tip in most of the fried potatoes (reserve a handful for the top) and toss everything together.
In the pancombining →
warm 2 min
Fold in the eggs
cookLower the heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and gently fold through the mixture with a spatula for 1–2 minutes, until the eggs are just set and creamy — do not let them dry out. Season with pepper and a little salt if needed.
In the panscrambling →
low, 1–2 min
Finish and serve
serveScatter over the olives, parsley and the reserved crisp potatoes. Serve immediately while soft and creamy.
On the plateserving →
serve at once
Cook's noteBuy thick centre-cut bacalhau for the best texture. If short on time, good-quality frozen shoestring fries can stand in for the hand-cut straw potatoes. Season carefully — the cod still carries salt even after soaking.
Estimated per serve
893 kcal · 112 g protein · 39 g carbs · 29 g fatestimates, within ~10%
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