Bacalhau com Broa
Bacalhau com Broa serves as the go-to winter dish for warming up during the colder months in Portugal. Frequently served for Christmas in Portugal, it aligns with the region’s longstanding culinary tradition of incorporating salted cod. This dish showcases a robust and substantial Portuguese cornbread crust enveloping a delicate and savory codfish filling.
Get the full list of ingredients and instructions below and enjoy!
Bacalhau com Broa
Bacalhau com Broa is an incredibly famous dish that is normally eaten at dinner on Christmas Eve. It is made with codfish and corn bread.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cod loins (1-2 loins)
- 1 ½ lbs new potatoes washed, skin on
- 4 onions sliced thinly
- olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1/4 lb corn bread crumbs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the bacalhau (salted cod) in cold water for 24 hours before preparing the fish, to remove excess salt from the flesh. If possible, change the water 2 or 3 times.
- Once ready to cook,place the cod in a pan with enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until cooked.
- Take the cleaned new potatoes and poke them with a fork. Add them to a pot and add enough salted water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook until just tender. Drain when done.
- Meanwhile, partway through the fish cooking, heat up a good splash olive oil in a frying pan, turn the heat down to low and add the finely sliced onion, frying it until softened.
- After the cod has done simmering for 15 minutes, drain it well and add it to the pan with the onions for another 10 minutes or until they both brown nicely. Turn the fish over on the other side after 5 minutes.
- Now prepare the breadcrumb mix by adding the cornbread and garlic to a food processor and blending it. Pour in some olive oil , a little at a time until the mixture gains a sandy texture.
- Preheat the oven to 180º C or 350º F.
- Prepare an ovenproof dish and drizzle it well with olive oil. Add the onions at the bottom and the fish on top. Cover each fish piece with a layer of the breadcrumb mixture, pressing it gently onto the loins so as to not break them apart. (You can add the potatoes around the fish as well at this point if you like them a little roasted.)
- Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 20 minutes until nicely browned.
- Serve the Bacalhau warm accompanied by roasted potatoes!
Notes
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