Bacalhau com natas
The Portuguese like to say they have a bacalhau recipe for every day of the year. This is the most homely one: flakes of salt cod, fried potato cubes and onion baked in a creamy béchamel under a cheese crust. The longest and most important step is soaking the fish — salt cod must sit in the fridge for at least a day with four changes of water, or the dish is inedibly salty. The actual work afterwards takes under an hour.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Soaking the cod 1440 min
- Preparation 30 min
- Frying the potatoes 30 min
- Béchamel 15 min
- Baking 35 min
- Resting 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSoak the cod
Rinse the salt off the fish and put it in a large bowl of cold water. Keep it in the fridge for 24 hours, changing the water every 6 hours. Soak thicker pieces up to 36 hours. Once soaked the fish takes up water and weighs about 1 kg.
Ingredients: 600 g dried salt cod (bacalhau) · 900 g potatoes · 2 pcs onions · 3 cloves garlic · 3 tbsp olive oil · 400 ml oil for frying the potatoes · 1 pcs bay leaf
Four changes of water — otherwise it is too salty.Poach the fish
Cover the drained fish with fresh water and the bay leaf, bring to the boil and poach for 8–10 minutes — keep the water barely moving, as a hard boil toughens the fish. Drain and cool.
Ingredients: 600 g dried salt cod (bacalhau) · 900 g potatoes · 2 pcs onions · 3 cloves garlic · 3 tbsp olive oil · 400 ml oil for frying the potatoes · 1 pcs bay leaf
Flake the fish
Remove the skin and bones and pull the flesh into large flakes with your fingers. Do this carefully — small bones are easy to miss.
Ingredients: 600 g dried salt cod (bacalhau) · 900 g potatoes · 2 pcs onions · 3 cloves garlic · 3 tbsp olive oil · 400 ml oil for frying the potatoes · 1 pcs bay leaf
Fry the potatoes
Peel the potatoes, cut into 1.5 cm cubes and pat them dry. Heat the oil in a pan to 170°C — no more than a third of the way up — and fry the potatoes in three batches for 6–8 minutes until golden. Drain on paper. Never leave hot oil unattended, and never use water on burning oil — cover the pan and turn off the hob.
Ingredients: 600 g dried salt cod (bacalhau) · 900 g potatoes · 2 pcs onions · 3 cloves garlic · 3 tbsp olive oil · 400 ml oil for frying the potatoes · 1 pcs bay leaf
Fried, not boiled — that way they hold their shape.Fry the onion
Fry the sliced onions in the olive oil for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, fry half a minute, then fold in the fish flakes and take off the heat.
Ingredients: 600 g dried salt cod (bacalhau) · 900 g potatoes · 2 pcs onions · 3 cloves garlic · 3 tbsp olive oil · 400 ml oil for frying the potatoes · 1 pcs bay leaf
Make the béchamel
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Add the milk gradually, whisking constantly, and cook until thickened. Pour in the cream and season with nutmeg and pepper. Add salt only if needed — the fish usually provides it.
Ingredients: 50 g butter · 50 g plain flour · 500 ml milk · 200 ml whipping cream (30%) · ¼ tsp nutmeg · ¼ tsp white pepper · 80 g hard cheese, grated
Assemble
Mix the fish and onion with the potatoes and two thirds of the sauce. Transfer to a baking dish about 22 × 30 cm and at least 6 cm deep — there is around 2.5 kg of filling. Pour over the rest of the sauce and scatter with cheese.
Ingredients: 50 g butter · 50 g plain flour · 500 ml milk · 200 ml whipping cream (30%) · ¼ tsp nutmeg · ¼ tsp white pepper · 80 g hard cheese, grated
The sauce should coat, not drown.Bake and serve
Bake at 200°C for 30–35 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce bubbles at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients: 50 g butter · 50 g plain flour · 500 ml milk · 200 ml whipping cream (30%) · ¼ tsp nutmeg · ¼ tsp white pepper · 80 g hard cheese, grated
Before you start
Salt cod
Bacalhau is sold in Portuguese and Spanish shops and in some supermarkets before Christmas. Fresh cod (1 kg of fillets) also makes a good gratin: skip the soaking, poach the fish 6 minutes and season the dish with salt. The flakes will be softer and break up more.
Lighter version
Instead of frying, roast the potatoes: toss the cubes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake 25 minutes at 220°C, turning once. That takes about 40 kcal off a serving; the potatoes are less crisp.
Storage
It keeps 2 days in the fridge. Reheat covered with foil at 180°C for 20 minutes. Do not freeze cream gratins — the sauce separates.
