Portugal's national obsession: dried salt cod prepared in 365 ways. Bacalhau à Brás (shredded with eggs and potato) is the entry point.
About Bacalhau (Salt Cod)
Portugal's defining ingredient and its greatest culinary obsession: dried, salted Atlantic cod rehydrated over 24 to 48 hours and cooked in the '365 ways' (one for every day, the Portuguese boast); the canonical preparations include Bacalhau à Brás (shredded with eggs and fried potato), Bacalhau com Natas (in béchamel) and Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (with potato and egg); Portugal uses more salt cod than any other nation.
A National Obsession
Bacalhau, dried and salted cod, is Portugal's defining ingredient, so central that the country is said to have a different recipe for every day of the year. The classics include Bacalhau a Bras, shredded with egg and fried potato; Bacalhau com Natas, baked in cream; and Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa, with potato, egg and olive oil. No nation eats more salt cod.
“Bacalhau, dried and salted cod, is Portugal's defining ingredient, so central that the country is said to have a different recipe for every day of the year.”
The Desalting
Before cooking, the hard, intensely salted cod must be rehydrated, soaked in cold water for a day or two with regular changes of water to draw out the salt. Skipping or rushing this step leaves the dish unpleasantly salty, the most common failure in a careless kitchen. Proper desalting is the foundation of every bacalhau dish.
A Preserved Tradition
Salt cod is a preserved food, not a fresh one, and that is the whole point: salting and drying made cod keep for the long Atlantic voyages of Portugal's Age of Discovery. What began as a practical preservation method became the country's most culturally embedded ingredient. Its history is tied to seafaring and to centuries of Catholic fast days.
The Many Dishes
The range of bacalhau dishes is enormous, from simple grilled fillets with olive oil to elaborate baked casseroles, and Portuguese families defend their favourites. Bacalhau a Bras, fried and bound with egg, is the friendliest entry point. Properly desalted and well cooked, salt cod is at once humble and beloved, the heart of the Portuguese table.
What to Expect
The bacalhau à Brás arrives in a pan, still slightly sizzling, the egg just set and the potato crispy throughout. The olives and parsley go on at the table. It is simultaneously simple and deeply satisfying.
Why Try It
Bacalhau connects Portugal to its Age of Discovery, the preservation technique that made long Atlantic voyages possible became the country's most culturally embedded ingredient.
Insider Tips
- The 24-48 hour desalting soak is non-negotiable, poorly desalted cod ruins any preparation.
- Order Bacalhau a Bras first, the most approachable version.
- A Cevicheria in Lisbon and Solar dos Presuntos are two reliable addresses.
