Portugal has over 1,000 codfish recipes — they say one for each day of the year and more. Here we select the 5 best traditional Portuguese recipes: Bacalhau à Brás, à Gomes de Sá, com Natas, Espiritual, and Bacalhoada. All tested, all with exact proportions.
Content
- Portugal and codfish: a 500-year history
- Bacalhau à Brás: the most famous
- Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: the most elegant
- Bacalhau com Natas: the creamiest
- Bacalhau Espiritual: the most comforting
- Bacalhoada: the festive roast
- Comparative table of the 5 recipes
- Choosing the right cod for each recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusions
Portugal and codfish: a 500-year history
Portuguese people call codfish fiel amigo (faithful friend). They have been fishing it in the waters of Newfoundland and Norway since the 15th century, and their per capita consumption is the highest in the world: about 20 kg per person per year. For a country with 1,200 km of coastline and access to all kinds of fresh fish, this obsession with a dried and salted fish says a lot about its culture.
The historical reason is practical: salted cod doesn't need refrigeration, it keeps for months and feeds an entire crew. The current reason is gastronomic: desalted cod has a texture and flavor that no other fish replicates. The Portuguese understood this before anyone else.
The following 5 recipes are the most representative of Portuguese codfish cuisine. All use desalted cod as a base, but each transforms it in a completely different way.
Bacalhau à Brás: the most famous
Bacalhau à Brás is the most well-known codfish recipe in Portugal. It is essentially flaked cod sautéed with matchstick potatoes and scrambled eggs — a dish that can be prepared in 20 minutes and has the ability to satisfy anyone.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 400 g desalted cod, flaked (skinless and boneless)
- 400 g matchstick potatoes (cut very thin or store-bought)
- 6 eggs
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced julienne
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Portuguese black olives (for garnish)
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper
Preparation
Fry the matchstick potatoes in abundant oil until golden and crispy. Set aside on paper towels. In the same pan (remove excess oil), sauté the onion over low heat for 10-12 minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium, add the flaked cod and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the matchstick potatoes. Beat the eggs with pepper and parsley, pour over the mixture and stir constantly over medium-low heat. The egg should remain creamy, never fully set — like scrambled eggs, not an omelet. Serve immediately with black olives on top.
Key to success: the doneness of the eggs. If overcooked, you'll have a dry omelet. Remove from heat when the eggs are still slightly liquid — the residual heat will finish them off.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: the most elegant
Created by José Luís Gomes de Sá in the 19th century in Porto. It is a cod gratin with boiled potatoes, caramelized onion, hard-boiled egg, and olives. More refined than à Brás, more presentable at a formal table.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 500 g desalted cod fillets
- 700 g potatoes
- 2 large onions, sliced into rings
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- Black olives
- Abundant extra virgin olive oil
- Milk (200 ml, for poaching the cod)
- Fresh parsley
Preparation
Boil the potatoes with skin, peel them and cut into 1 cm slices. Poach the cod in hot milk for 10 minutes (do not boil). Flake it into large pieces. Sauté the onions in olive oil over low heat until golden (15-20 minutes, with patience).
In an ovenproof dish, layer potatoes, cod, and onion. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes. When removed, decorate with hard-boiled egg slices, black olives, and parsley. Another drizzle of raw oil on top.
Key to success: slowly caramelized onion. If you rush the onion, you lose the soul of the dish. And the olive oil must be generous — it's part of the flavor, not just a cooking medium.
Traditional Dry Flaked Cod - 500g
Available at Bacalalo.com with refrigerated shipping in 24-48h
Bacalhau com Natas: the creamiest
Cod with cream is the quintessential Portuguese comfort food. It's a gratin with béchamel enriched with cream, fried potatoes, and flaked cod. If you need more details, we have a specific recipe for cod with cream.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 400 g desalted cod, flaked
- 400 g potatoes, cubed and fried
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 300 ml cooking cream
- 200 ml milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 50 g butter
- 100 g grated cheese (Parmesan or mix)
- Nutmeg, pepper, parsley
Preparation
Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Add flour, stir for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until you have a béchamel sauce. Add cream, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix with the flaked cod and fried potatoes.
Pour into an ovenproof dish. Cover with grated cheese. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden and bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Key to success: don't skimp on the cream. And the potatoes should be fried, not boiled — they add texture and contrast to the creaminess of the sauce.
Bacalhau Espiritual: the most comforting
Bacalhau Espiritual is a cod pie with breadcrumbs, milk, carrots, and béchamel, baked until golden. Its name comes from the nuns who created it in Portuguese convents. It is the humblest of the five, but perhaps the most comforting.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 400 g desalted cod, flaked
- 200 g sandwich bread (crustless), soaked in 300 ml milk
- 2 grated carrots
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 eggs (yolks separated from whites)
- 200 ml béchamel sauce
- 100 g grated cheese
- Olive oil, parsley, nutmeg
Preparation
Sauté onion and grated carrots in olive oil. Add flaked cod and sauté for 3 minutes. Mix with the soaked bread (squeezed and crumbled), egg yolks, parsley, and nutmeg. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the mixture.
Pour into a greased dish, cover with béchamel sauce and grated cheese. Bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes. The center should be moist and the top golden.
Key to success: the stiffly beaten egg whites. They give a fluffy and light texture that transforms what could be a dense pie into something ethereal.
Bacalhoada: the festive roast
Bacalhoada is the festive version of Portuguese codfish. It is, in essence, oven-roasted cod with potatoes, onions, peppers, and hard-boiled eggs, all drizzled with olive oil. It is the Christmas Eve dish in Portugal (Consoada) and for Good Friday.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 4 thick desalted cod loins (with skin)
- 600 g boiled potatoes with skin
- 2 large onions, sliced into rings
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 200 g Portuguese cabbage (or kale), cooked
- Abundant extra virgin olive oil (150-200 ml)
- Minced garlic
- Wine vinegar (optional)
Preparation
Boil the potatoes with skin. Cook the cabbage. Boil the eggs. Roast the cod in the oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes (or poach in simmering water for 10 minutes). Arrange everything on a large platter: cod in the center, potatoes, cabbage, and eggs around it. Drizzle generously with hot olive oil with browned garlic.
It's an assembly dish, not a preparation dish. Everything is cooked separately and assembled at the end. The key is the hot olive oil with garlic poured over the whole thing — it is the sauce.
Key to success: the quality of the cod. In a dish where the cod is presented whole, without sauces to mask it, the difference between mediocre and good cod is abysmal.
Smoked Cod in Oil in Thin Slices - 1000g
Available at Bacalalo.com with refrigerated shipping in 24-48h
Comparative table of the 5 recipes
| Recipe | Technique | Time | Difficulty | Occasion | Calories/serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacalhau à Brás | Sautéed + scrambled | 25 min | Medium | Daily | ~500 kcal |
| Gomes de Sá | Oven-baked gratin | 50 min | Medium | Formal meal | ~450 kcal |
| Com Natas | Gratin with béchamel | 45 min | Easy | Daily/festive | ~550 kcal |
| Espiritual | Baked pie | 55 min | Medium-High | Special | ~400 kcal |
| Bacalhoada | Cooking + assembly | 40 min | Easy | Festive (Christmas) | ~480 kcal |
Choosing the right cod for each recipe
Not all recipes need the same cut:
- À Brás and Com Natas: flaked cod. You can use scraps, tails or less noble parts — it will be flaked anyway. It's the most economical option.
- Gomes de Sá: cod loin in large flakes. The dish is presented with visible flakes, so aesthetics matter.
- Espiritual: any cut works, as it is completely flaked.
- Bacalhoada: thick loins with skin. This is the dish where cod truly shines. Invest in the best cut you can.
For Gilded Cod (another Portuguese recipe not included here as it is a variation of à Brás), flaked cod also works.
Universal Dry Flaked Cod - 500g
Desalted Cod — Flaked — Perfect for à Brás, com Natas, and Espiritual. Saves preparation time without losing flavor. See formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest Portuguese cod recipe?
Bacalhoada and Bacalhau com Natas are the simplest. Bacalhoada basically involves cooking everything separately and assembling it on a platter. Com Natas is a béchamel with cod and potatoes baked in the oven. Both forgive timing errors.
What kind of cod do the Portuguese use?
The Portuguese exclusively use North Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), salted and air-dried. They buy it whole (dry, rigid) and desalinate it at home for 24-48 hours. It's the same cod we've been selling since 1990, though they prefer it drier than the Spanish.
Can evaporated milk be substituted for cream?
Yes, evaporated milk works as a substitute in bacalhau com natas, resulting in a slightly less creamy but acceptable dish. Do not substitute with vegetable cream — the flavor changes too much. Another alternative is to use crème fraîche for a slightly more acidic touch.
Why is cod so important in Portugal?
For three historical reasons: 1) The Portuguese fishing fleet operated in Newfoundland since the 15th century, ensuring a constant supply. 2) The Catholic Church imposed more than 150 days of meat abstinence per year, and cod was the permitted protein. 3) It can be preserved without refrigeration, ideal for a seafaring nation.
How many cod dishes does Portugal actually have?
The figure of "1,001 recipes" is a cliché, but not far from reality. Maria de Lourdes Modesto's reference book documents over 200 verified recipes. Counting regional variations, it's plausible that they exceed 500. The Portuguese don't exaggerate as much as it seems.
What is the difference between Portuguese-style cod and Spanish-style cod?
Portuguese cod cuisine uses more raw olive oil (poured at the end), more potatoes, more caramelized onion, and hard-boiled eggs as a common accompaniment. Spanish cuisine tends to use more cooked sauces (vizcaína, pil-pil, ajoarriero). These are complementary philosophies, not opposing ones.
Five recipes, five ways to understand the same ingredient. From the quick à Brás for any Tuesday to the solemn Bacalhoada for Christmas Eve, Portuguese codfish cuisine demonstrates that a single product can provide a lifetime of variety without repetition.
The key, as always, is the cod. A well-cured, properly desalted Gadus morhua is 80% of the success of any of these recipes. The other 20% is olive oil, patience, and not overcomplicating what already works.
Marc González Sáez · Bacalalo · Mercat del Ninot, Barcelona (since 1990)
Related articles: Gilded Cod · Cod with Cream · Desalted cod collection
