Paloma Faith's bacalhau à Brás | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the national dish of bacalhau? ›

Bacalhau (salted codfish) is the most popular base commodity in Portuguese cooking. Traditionally there are more than 365 different dishes, one for each day of the year. Bacalhau is so ingrained in the Portuguese national psyche that the dish is served as the main celebration meal at Christmas.

Bacalhau is Portuguese for dry, salted cod, and is referred to as Bacalao in Spain or Bacala in Italy. Today we take a look at it from a Portuguese perspective. Historically, Bacalhau was the staple for these three predominately Catholic countries during Lent, when meat was considered a forbidden food.

It can be baked, fried, grilled, you name it. According to the Portuguese, there are 365 different ways to cook bacalhau which is to say that there's a lot of different recipes. Of all the Portuguese foods out there, bacalhau is the most Portuguese.

Bacalhau (Portuguese: [bɐkɐˈʎaw]) is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod. Fresh (unsalted) cod is referred to as bacalhau fresco (fresh cod).

As meat was expensive and supplying fresh fish to the interior of mainland Portugal was too complicated, salted cod was an easily accessible and cheap alternative in the diet of the majority of the population. Only later does salted cod become part of the culinary habits of the middle and upper classes.

Eating bacalhau as part of a healthy eating pattern can contribute to a healthier diet. There are lean meats that are low in calories and can be included in a variety of dishes. The drying and salting process of the cod helps to preserve it, making it a convenient and long-lasting protein source.

The codfish (bacalhau) is preserved/ dried in salt. So they actually have to soak it in water for a few days to take most of the salt OUT. If you get a very salty piece, it's because it was not soaked long enough. There are lots of dishes.

Baccalà is the name for cod that has been cured, or preserved, with salt. The resulting fish is pleasantly flaky in texture with an irresistibly intense and unusual—but never fishy—flavor. In Italy, baccalà is a celebrated fish and a fish for celebrations.

Bacalao has a rich taste, due to, among others, the salted cod. It is also slightly acidic and fresh because of the tomato. A «classic» bacalao needs an aromatic and fresh wine with a good acidity. In case you are using a lot of chilli, go for a wine that has a little bit of sweetness.

Should bacalao be refrigerated? ›

Because the fish is dry and doesn't need refrigeration, salted fish can be found all year round, but real bacalao might be hard to come by. Look for Spanish or Portuguese markets in your area. Bacalao is offered in a few different cuts, with the thick-cut, square pieces of the loin (morro or lomo) the most popular.

Bacalhau à Brás

We're kicking off our list with the pinnacle of Portuguese cuisine: bacalhau! Bacalhau, which translates to cod in English, is Portugal's national dish, a symbol of the country's identity, and one of the most popular foods in restaurants across the country.

This bacalhau recipe is made with salt cod, potatoes, onions, hard boiled eggs, olives and olive oil. All the ingredients are layered in a pan with the eggs and olives on top. It's traditionally served on Good Friday, but the Portuguese eat it all year round because it's so tasty.

Soak the Bacalao in the refrigerator for 8 hours with 2 to 3 changes of fresh cold water. After soaking the Bacalao for 2 hours in the refrigerator, drain the water from the bowl. Cover the bowl again completely with fresh cold water and repeat this process after 3 more hours of soaking in the refrigerator.

You'll find moussaka, with its chunky layers of deeply savoury, sweetly spiced meat, silky aubergines and creamy bechamel sauce, on the menu at every whitewashed tourist taverna. No surprise, then, that it's perceived by many visitors as Greece's national dish.

Commonly known around the world as spaghetti bolognese, in its authentic form 'Ragu alla Bolognese' is recognised as the national dish of Italy.

The national dish of Portugal, bacalhau is dried and salted codfish, which is usually soaked in milk or water before cooking. The Portuguese have been eating bacalhau since the 16th century when their fishing boats brought it back from Newfoundland.