Loading ...Portuguese Scrambled Eggs with Salt Cod and Potatoes
Bacalhau à Brás
by David Leite
adapted from Bota Alta, in Lisbon
Makes 4 to 6 servings
This delicious lunch, dinner, or even brunch dish is from the classic restaurant Bota Alta, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.
convert Ingredients
1 pound dried salt cod (buy it)
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips (about 6 cups)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
18 oil-cured black olives
Method
1. Rinse the fish and place it in a bowl. Add enough cold water to cover. Chill overnight, changing the water several times.
2. The next day, drain the fish and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the fish flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Flake the fish, discarding any bones.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy, large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches and sauté until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the onion slices in the skillet. Mix in the fish and potatoes. Whisk the eggs, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl to blend. Add the egg mixture and 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the fish mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the eggs are softly set, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a platter. Garnish with the olives and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
Note: Salt cod is available at Italian markets as baccalà and at Spanish markets as bacalao.
Recipe © 2003 David Leite. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
Hello, David. I see this is the classic recipe of Bacalhau à Brás. I used to do it exactly as you mention, with one exception: I use olive oil for the last bit, rather than cooking oil, which I only use to fry the matchstick potatoes.
However, after seeing one of the pousada’s chefs preparing it, I learned a trick that makes it much better tasting–and surprising. The trick is to add the fried potatoes only at the very last moment. That way they keep their crispy bite, and the dish becomes less soggy and lighter. So, you add the eggs to the bacalhau and onions and let it cook over a very low fire for a couple of minutes. Only then do you add the potatoes, and stir it only slightly. It tastes even better! Try it just once, and you’ll never go back to the classic version.
Bom proveito!
Nuno Matos
Nuno, great idea. Readers, try Nuno’s suggestion of adding the matchstick potatoes at the very last minute and let me know if you like it better.
Instead of matchstick potatoes I prefer to use paille (I don’t know how do you refer to them in English, sorry!) On occasion, I add a little bit of garlic to the onions; it enhances the flavours.
There’s another very similar recipe, called Bacalhau Dourado which was “invented” or made popular at the Elvas Pousada. The diference is you don’t use onions. First fry the cod, then the eggs, and ONLY then the potatoes. Black olives, lots of fresh ground black pepper and finely choped parsley are a must. (I prefer the large-leaf parsley we use in Portugal rather than the curly parsley you find in England and North of Europe. Ours is much more perfumed and tasty.)