Portugal's most beloved salt cod dish — shredded bacalhau with silky scrambled eggs, crispy matchstick potatoes, olives and fresh parsley. Simple genius.
Portugal has over 365 ways to cook bacalhau (salt cod) — one for every day of the year. Bacalhau à Brás is the most iconic: dried, salted cod rehydrated and shredded, then folded with scrambled eggs and crispy fried matchstick potatoes into a creamy, salty, texturally perfect dish. Named after a Lisbon tavern owner called Braz, it's the ultimate Portuguese comfort food and one of Europe's great egg dishes.
Serves 4
After soaking (24–48 hours, cold water changed 3 times), bring a pot of water to a simmer. Poach cod 10 minutes. Drain, cool, remove skin and bones. Flake into small pieces.
Taste the cod after soaking — it should be mildly salty. If still very salty, soak longer.
Pat potato matchsticks dry. Heat vegetable oil to 180°C. Fry in batches until golden and crispy. Drain and season with a little salt. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large wide pan. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes until very soft and sweet — not browned. Add garlic, cook 2 more minutes.
Add flaked cod to the onions. Stir gently and cook 2–3 minutes to warm through. Season with white pepper (no salt — cod is already salty).
Add beaten eggs to the pan. Reduce heat to very low. Stir gently and constantly — like soft scrambled eggs — until just set. Remove from heat while still slightly creamy.
The eggs must be soft and barely set. Overcooking makes the dish dry and rubbery.
Fold in most of the crispy potatoes (save some for topping). Serve immediately topped with remaining potatoes, olives and a shower of fresh parsley.
Change the soaking water at least 3 times — this controls the final salt level.
The potatoes must stay crispy — fold them in at the very last moment. Never let them sit in the egg mixture.
Use quality olive oil — it's the backbone of Portuguese cooking and you'll taste it.
Bacalhau com Natas: baked in a creamy béchamel with potatoes and onions.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: oven-baked with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and olives.
Eat immediately — the crispy potatoes go soft on storing.
Portuguese sailors began salting and drying cod in the 15th century on Newfoundland fishing banks — bacalhau could survive the months-long Atlantic voyages without refrigeration. Portugal became the world's greatest consumer of salt cod, and bacalhau entered Portuguese culture so deeply that it became known as 'o fiel amigo' (the faithful friend). The 365 recipes myth reflects the dish's extraordinary versatility across all social classes.
Look in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian or Latin American supermarkets — it's sold as stiff, dried, yellowed fillets. If unavailable, fresh cod with extra salt can substitute but the flavour is different.
Per serving (350g / 12.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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