Summary: Cod with cream (Bacalhau com Natas in Portuguese) is one of the most popular cod dishes in Portuguese cuisine. It consists of layers of shredded cod, fried potatoes, and sautéed onions, covered in a liquid cream sauce and baked in the oven with cheese until an irresistible golden crust forms. It is a hearty, creamy, comforting, and absolutely addictive dish.
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What is cod with cream?
Cod with cream (Bacalhau com Natas in Portuguese) is one of the most popular cod dishes in Portuguese cuisine. It consists of layers of shredded cod, fried potatoes, and sautéed onions, covered in a liquid cream sauce and baked in the oven with cheese until an irresistible golden crust forms. It is a hearty, creamy, comforting, and absolutely addictive dish.
If Bacalhau à Brás is the most popular cod dish in Portugal, Bacalhau com Natas is probably the second. It is a family dish, a weekend dish, a celebration dish, and a Portuguese Christmas dish. The combination of cod with cream and fried potatoes is so universal that literally everyone likes it — it's the dish Portuguese mothers prepare when they want the whole family to sit at the table without protest.
At Bacalalo, where we combine Spanish and Portuguese cod traditions, Bacalhau com Natas is one of the recipes we recommend most because it is easy, impressive, and practically impossible to mess up.
Origin: another Portuguese gem
Like most Portuguese cod recipes, Bacalhau com Natas is a dish of humble origins that has risen to high cuisine. It was probably born in 20th-century Lisbon homes as a way to prepare dried cod with accessible ingredients: cream, potatoes, and onion. The gratiné technique gives it a touch of sophistication that has made it a common dish in Portuguese restaurants.
In Portugal, cod is the "faithful friend" (fiel amigo), a food that has accompanied the Portuguese people through centuries of navigation, discovery, and emigration. It is said that there are over 1,000 Portuguese cod recipes — one for each day of the year. Bacalhau com Natas is one of the more modern but also one of the most beloved.
Cod holds an absolutely central place in Portuguese Christmas. Consoada, Christmas Eve dinner, features boiled cod with potatoes, cabbage, hard-boiled eggs, and a generous drizzle of olive oil as its undisputed star — it is the most sacred dish on the Portuguese Christmas table. But Bacalhau com Natas is the star of the following days: December 25th, 26th, and family year-end gatherings. Many Portuguese families prepare large platters of Bacalhau com Natas for Christmas gatherings because it is a dish that can be assembled in advance and baked at the last minute, feeds many diners, and is universally liked. In bakeries and gourmet shops in Lisbon and Porto, Bacalhau com Natas is sold ready to bake throughout December. It is, along with rabanadas (Portuguese French toast) and sonhos (fritters), one of the flavors that Portuguese people immediately associate with Christmas and the nostalgia of the family home.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 400 g of desalted cod, shredded
- 400 g of potatoes (cut into thin sticks or slices)
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 400 ml of liquid cooking cream (35% fat)
- 3 egg yolks
- 100 g of grated cheese (Gruyère, Emmental, or a mix)
- Olive oil for frying the potatoes
- Nutmeg, black pepper
- Fresh parsley
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Step-by-step preparation
1. Fry the potatoes (15 minutes)
Cut the potatoes into thin sticks (like French fries) or thin slices. Fry them in hot oil until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. You can use store-bought shoestring potatoes to save time, as in Bacalhau à Brás.
2. Sauté the onion (10 minutes)
In a pan with olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Well-sautéed onion adds sweetness to the dish.
3. Prepare the cod (5 minutes)
If using loin, blanch it for 2-3 minutes in hot water (not boiling), drain, and shred into flakes with your hands. Remove skin and bones. If using flakes, just blanch them briefly.
4. Prepare the cream sauce (5 minutes)
Heat the cream over low heat (do not boil). Off the heat, mix with the beaten egg yolks, grated nutmeg, and pepper. The yolks add richness and help the cream thicken slightly in the oven.
5. Assemble and gratinate (20-25 minutes)
In a greased baking dish, layer: fried potatoes on the bottom, then sautéed onion, then shredded cod. Repeat if you have enough. Pour the cream sauce over everything, covering it. Sprinkle the grated cheese. Bake at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden and bubbly.
6. Rest and serve
Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving (the cream will be very hot). Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve directly from the dish.
Tips for perfect cod with cream
- Crispy potatoes: The potatoes should be well fried and golden before assembling. If they are soft, the dish will be soggy and lack textural contrast.
- Cooking cream: Use cream with at least 35% fat. Light cream does not gratinate well and remains liquid.
- Yolks, not whole eggs: Yolks enrich the cream without giving it the curdled texture of egg whites. The result is creamier.
- Do not boil the cream: If you boil the cream with the yolks, it will curdle. Heat gently and mix off the heat.
- Gratinate well: The golden cheese crust is an essential part of the dish. If it doesn't brown, use the grill for 2-3 minutes at the end.
- Cod not overcooked: The cod is already practically cooked after blanching. In the oven, it only needs to heat through and absorb the cream. Do not overbake.
Variations
With béchamel instead of cream
Substitute the cream with a béchamel sauce, as in gratinéed cod. The result is thicker and heartier.
With spinach
Add a layer of sautéed spinach between the potatoes and cod. It adds color, nutrients, and a subtle bitterness that balances the richness of the cream.
With red pepper
Add roasted red pepper strips to the layers. The sweetness of the pepper pairs perfectly with the cream.
Individual in ramekins
Assemble the dish in individual ramekins for a more elegant presentation. Baking times are reduced to 15 minutes.
Cod with cream vs. à Brás vs. gratinéed
- Cod with cream: layers of cod + fried potatoes + cream + cheese, baked. Creamy and gratinéed.
- Bacalhau à Brás: cod + shoestring potatoes + scrambled egg, cooked in a pan. Creamy and quick.
- Gratinéed cod: whole loins + béchamel + cheese, baked. More refined and with whole loins.
All three are gratinéed/creamy cod dishes, but with different techniques and results. Cod with cream is the heartiest and most comforting.
To pair cod with cream, the creamy richness of the dish calls for a white wine with good acidity to cleanse the palate between bites. A Portuguese Vinho Verde is the most authentic and suitable choice: its slight effervescence and Atlantic freshness cut through the richness of the cream perfectly. An Alvarinho from Minho or an Encruzado from Dão are equally excellent Portuguese alternatives. If you prefer Spanish wine, an Albariño from Rías Baixas or a Basque Txakoli provide the necessary acidity. In Portugal, many families accompany this dish with a cold Super Bock or Sagres beer, an absolutely valid and popular option that refreshes the palate between the generous layers of cream and fried potatoes.
Storage and reheating
Cod with cream keeps well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, covered. Reheating in the oven at 160 °C for 10-15 minutes is the best option (it maintains the crust). The microwave works, but the texture softens. A trick: prepare the layers (potatoes + onion + cod) in advance, pour the cream, and gratinate just before serving. This way the potatoes retain some crispiness. This dish can be completely prepared the day before and baked directly from the refrigerator (add 5 extra minutes to the baking time).
Nutritional information
- Calories: 520-580 kcal per serving (it is a hearty dish)
- Protein: 28-32 g (cod + egg + cheese)
- Fats: 32-38 g (cream + cheese + fried potato oil)
- Carbohydrates: 24-28 g (potatoes)
Cod with cream is not a light dish. It is a celebration dish, a weekend dish, one of those to enjoy without counting calories. The cream, cheese, and fried potatoes make it hearty but also delicious. If you are looking for a lighter version, reduce the cream by half, use baked potatoes instead of fried, and omit the yolks. Nevertheless, the protein content of the cod is still excellent, and the fats from the cream are mostly saturated but in reasonable amounts if consumed as an occasional celebration or weekend dish.
Conclusions
- What is cod with cream?: Cod with cream (Bacalhau com Natas in Portuguese) is one of the most popular cod dishes in Portuguese cuisine.
- Origin: another Portuguese gem: Like most Portuguese cod recipes, Bacalhau com Natas is a dish of humble origins that has risen to high cuisine.
- Ingredients for 4 servings: Cut the potatoes into thin sticks (like French fries) or thin slices.
- Tips for perfect cod with cream: Substitute the cream with a béchamel sauce, as in gratinéed cod.
- Cod with cream vs. à Brás vs. gratinéed: All three are gratinéed/creamy cod dishes, but with different techniques and results.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use baked potatoes instead of fried?
Yes, cut the potatoes into thin slices and bake them at 200 °C with oil until golden (20 min). The result is lighter, but you lose the crispiness of fried potatoes, which is part of the charm.
Can cream be replaced with milk?
It doesn't work the same way. Milk doesn't gratinate or thicken, resulting in a watery dish without body. If you want a lighter option, use light liquid cream (18% fat) but not milk. Another option: a light béchamel.
Can it be prepared in advance?
Yes, it's ideal: assemble everything in the dish, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake directly from the refrigerator, adding an extra 5 minutes.
What kind of cod should I use?
Shredded cod (already shredded, practical) or hand-shredded loin. The cod should be in flakes, not large pieces. You can use store-bought shoestring potatoes to save time, as in Bacalhau à Brás.
Is this the same dish as Bacalhau Espiritual?
They are similar but different. Bacalhau Espiritual uses béchamel (not cream), carrots, and gratinated breadcrumbs on top. Bacalhau com Natas uses liquid cream and fried potatoes. Both are baked au gratin.
Buy premium desalted cod for your Bacalhau com Natas at Bacalalo.
