Bacalhau a bras, a delicious lunch, dinner, or even brunch dish is from the classic restaurant Bota Alta, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.

A copper pot of bacalhau a Bras--or Portuguese scrambled eggs, salt cod, potatoes, onions, olives, and parsley.

Bacalhau a Bras ~ Salt Cod, Potatoes & Eggs

4.82 / 33 votes
This delicious lunch, dinner, or even brunch dish is from the classic restaurant Bota Alta, in Lisbon's Bairro Alto district.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisinePortuguese
Servings6 servings
Calories572 kcal
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes

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.

Nutrition

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.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
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.

Cut Norge Norwegian Salted Codfish




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




49 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Found a Portuguese market near my house in Fremont, CA I had no idea existed! Picked up a couple pounds of Bacalhau and made the bacalhau a bras recipe from here and it turned out delicious! We visit Portugal every year to see family and this recipe is spot on to what I eat in Portugal. Thank you very much!!

  2. 5 stars
    Ok, my sister made this for us when we visited her in Spain this summer. I had never eaten or heard of this wonderful recipe. Of course, I knew I would find the recipe here and it was just like the first time I had it!!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    1. Connie, this is one of my all-time favorite Portuguese recipes. I’m delighted you enjoyed it, too!

  3. Hi!!!!!
    On the page of Jamie Oliver they post a recipe of Bacalhau a Bras totaly wrong. Can I post your recipe as comment in his page, so they can learn how to do properly? Thank you. I’m Portuguese, and I can’t watch a chef like Jamie do this to culinary portuguese…

    Olá!!!!
    Na pagina do Jamie Oliver puseram uma receita de Bacalhau a Bras completamente errada. Posso por a sua receita como comentario no site dele, para ele aprender? Obrigada. Sou portuguesa, e não consigo ve um chef como o Jamie a fazer o que fez a culinaria portuguesa…

    1. Raquel, thank you for the kind words. Please post a link to this page, not the recipe, on the comment section. Muito obrigado!