Portuguese
Bacalhau à Brás
Shredded salt cod folded with crisp matchstick potatoes, onions, soft eggs, parsley, and olives.
6 servings · 45 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick salt cod fillet
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 quarts avocado oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 large eggs; pasteurized if served softly set
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, only if needed
Directions
Desalt the Cod and Prepare the Potatoes
- Soak the salt cod in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours, changing the water every 6 hours. Taste a small cooked flake; soak up to 12 hours longer if still aggressively salty. Drain and pat dry.
- Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch matchsticks, rinse until the water runs clear, and dry exceptionally well. Heat the avocado oil to 350°F and fry the potatoes in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp and pale gold. Drain on a rack and season only if needed.
- Cover the cod with fresh water in a saucepan. Bring just to a simmer, remove from the heat, cover, and rest for 10 minutes. Drain, remove skin and bones, and pull into moist flakes.
Cook the Onion and Cod
- Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low. Add the onions, garlic, and bay leaf and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until meltingly soft but not browned. Discard the bay leaf and fold in the cod for 2 minutes.
- Beat the eggs with the black pepper until combined but not foamy. Fold two-thirds of the potatoes into the cod, reduce the heat to low, and add the eggs. Stir slowly for 2 to 4 minutes, removing the pan from the heat as needed. Use pasteurized eggs for a glossy, softly set coating; with standard eggs, continue until they reach {{temperature:160°F}}.
Add the Eggs and Finish
- Beat the eggs with the black pepper until combined but not foamy. Fold two-thirds of the potatoes into the cod, reduce the heat to low, and add the eggs. Stir slowly with a silicone spatula for 2 to 4 minutes, removing the pan from the heat as needed, until the eggs form a glossy, softly set coating; they must not scramble dry.
- Fold in half the parsley and the remaining crisp potatoes. Transfer immediately to a warm platter and finish with the olives and remaining parsley.
