Bacalhau à Bras Traditional Recipe

To prepare the Portoguese Bacalhau à bras recipe, start having soaked the salt cod, then remove the skin and bones, and break it apart with your hands.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into matchsticks by first cutting a small slice off the potato to give it a flat base, then cutting the potato lengthwise into slices, which is then laid flat and cut into matchsticks. Cut the onion into fine rings using a similar technique of first taking a thin slice off the side of the onion to keep it from rolling while you cut the rings. 

Fry the potatoes in a pan and set them to one side, drying them on kitchen paper. If you’re not sure how to go about this step, glean some fried spud smarts from this video.

At the same time, in a deep pan, sweat the onions and garlic until golden, then add the pieces of salt cod, and cook for a few minutes, until it soaks up the oil.

At this stage, add the potatoes and stir whilst adding the lightly beaten eggs with salt and pepper. Stir for a few minutes, turning off the heat before the eggs solidify and become an omelette.

The bacalhau à bras has to be served hot, with parsley and black olives.

More cod to applaud

Take your fish and run with it all the way to India, where you slather it in coconut curry sauce. The secret ingredient? A fungus that goes by the names of wood ear, jelly ear, or even 'common ear fungus', which we promise tastes infinitely better than it sounds.

But if you’re on the hunt for a dish more elegant, at least in name, look no further than cod tartare with black sesame and shoots. The recipe uses teacups as a mould and combines simple ingredients for a meal as civilised as it is scrumptious.

Origins of the recipe

The origins of bacalhau à bras are uncertain, but it is thought to have originated in the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon.

Other recipes with cod

Cod is an extremely versatile and widely available fish that can be used in countless different recipes. Try this twist on a classic cod à la grenobloise created by the two Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi. The white fish also makes a great foil for hearty vegetables, as in this roasted cod with beetroot and spinach, perfect for a special dinner.