Bacalhau a bras, a delicious lunch, dinner, or even brunch dish is from the classic restaurant Bota Alta, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.
Bacalhau a Bras ~ Salt Cod, Potatoes & Eggs
This delicious lunch, dinner, or even brunch dish is from the classic restaurant Bota Alta, in Lisbon's Bairro Alto district.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried salt cod, soaked overnight and cooked
- 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 freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
- 18 black or green olives
Instructions
- Flake the fish, discarding any bones.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy, large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches and saute until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and bay leaf and saute 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.
An LC Original
View More Original RecipesNutrition
Serving: 1 portionCalories: 572 kcalCarbohydrates: 24 gProtein: 59 gFat: 26 gSaturated Fat: 5 gMonounsaturated Fat: 16 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 363 mgSodium: 5738 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe © 2018 David Leite. Photo © 2018 David Leite. All rights reserved.
Where Can I Find Bacalhau?
Salt cod is available at Portuguese markets, Italian markets as baccalà, and at Spanish markets as bacalao.
Our favorite supplier is Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River, MA. They have amazing Norwegian salted cod, which is what I get everything I visit my mom. But if you aren’t in the South Coast region of Massachusetts, Portugalia ships.
I’m so glad to find this website. I have lived in the U.S. since my parents migrated in 1960. We live in MA. My Daughters and I love Portuguese cooking and we are always looking for traditional recipes so we can keep the Portuguese in our family. Thank you.
Natalia, my pleasure. Where in MA are you? I grew up in Fall River/Swansea. During this year I’ll add more recipes to the site. You’ll also find both contemporary and classic recipes in my cookbook.
I LOL’d at the first step of this recipe. “No dear, I think it’s YOUR turn to get up and change the fish-water.”
If you’ve ever had a newborn, you know what it’s like! (Only kidding.)
I’m Canadian born of Azorean decent. I’ve never felt so proud to be Portuguese as I did after making this dish. Absolutely delicious! Used green olives instead of black olives and added them with the onions. Either way the concept is awesome.
Sir.geo, it doesn’t get any better than this–both your comment and the dish. I’m so glad you like this. Bacalhau à Brás is one of my very favorite Portuguese dishes. The best I ever had was at Bota Alta, in the Bairro Alto area of Lisbon
I searched the Internet for this recipe remembering the best Bacalao I ever tasted…it was in Barrio Alto in Lisboa the summer of 2003. (I just couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant), your recipe popped up first and foremost! I have had this dish locally at Old Lisbon Restaurant in Miami and have craved to make it myself. This recipe was exactly what I was looking for! Exquisitely good!
Tiana, I would bet it was at Bota Alta.