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

FAQs

Do I have to soak Bacalao before cooking? ›

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.

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.

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.

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.

Soaking is the most important step in preparing salt cod. Most recipes say to soak for 24 hours. However, this is risky and may leave the fish too salty. About 48 hours is a better bet.

It is among the countries in the world with the highest fish consumption per capita. Species like the sardine, Atlantic mackerel, tuna, and the European hake are important for the Portuguese commercial capture fisheries. Other, widely used species in Portuguese cuisine is the cod, known in Portugal as bacalhau.

1. 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.

It all started with the Vikings…

The consumption of salted cod quickly spread throughout Portugal due to its low cost and easy transportation. At the turn of the 15th century, the Portuguese became pioneers in setting up large ships for cod fishing.

Bacalhau (salt cod) is a deep part of Portugal's culinary identity.

Soaking fish in brine or water before cooking to remove any muddy taste is not necessary. We prefer never to wash or soak whole or filleted fish in water or any other solution (except a marinade) before cooking as it affects the texture, and ultimately, the flavour of the fish.

Can you cook saltfish without soaking it? ›

Before cooking the cod, though, you need to rehydrate and desalinate it by soaking it in cold water first. It does take a bit of preparation, but it is totally worth it! Don't worry, it's really simple, too!

It is generally recommended to soak dried fish before cooking it. Soaking helps to rehydrate the fish and remove excess salt. However, some types of dried fish may require longer soaking times compared to others.

Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes

In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.