Portuguese salt cod casserole, aka Bacalhau a Portuguesa, is far more flavorful than the tuna-based ones we’re used to in the United States.
Portuguese Salt Cod Casserole Ingredients
- 2 pounds desalinated salt cod
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
- 10 pitted green olives
- 10 pitted black olives
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cod and boil for about 5 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Remove the cod from the water; reserve the water for cooking the potatoes. Using a fork, flake the meat into pieces. Set the cleaned cod aside in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the cod and toss lightly to coat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the potatoes into the fish water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until golden and caramelized. Stir one clove of garlic into the onions. Set aside.
- In a greased 8 x 11-inch baking dish, layer half of the potato slices in the bottom. Cover with half of the cod, then half of the onions. Repeat the layers, ending with onion.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish the top with the green and black olives and the hard-cooked eggs. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.
Yield: 8 servings
Photograph by Jessica Spengler. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license via Wikimedia
