Bacalhau à Brás – Portuguese Salt Cod with Eggs and Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Bacalhau à Brás is one of Portugal’s favourite home dishes: flaked salt cod, soft onions and thin crispy potatoes, all bound together with creamy, just-set eggs. Comfort food from Lisbon’s Bairro Alto.

Take the pan off the heat while the eggs are still a little runny – they keep cooking and stay silky.

How to Make Bacalhau à Brás

1. Prepare the cod. Poach the soaked cod in simmering water for 8 minutes. Drain, remove skin and bones and flake it finely.
2. Fry the potatoes. Rinse and dry the potato matchsticks and fry them in hot oil (175°C / 350°F) in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
3. Soften the onions. In a large pan, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden.
4. Add cod and potatoes. Add the cod and stir for 2 minutes, then fold in most of the potatoes.
5. Add the eggs. Beat the eggs with pepper and pour them in. Stir gently over low heat for 1–2 minutes until creamy and barely set, then take off the heat.
6. Serve. Top with parsley, black olives and the remaining crispy potatoes.

👉 More comfort food from around the world: 25 Cozy Comfort Food Recipes

Footnotes:

Short on time? Use good-quality shop-bought matchstick potato crisps (batata palha) – many Portuguese cooks do.

Salt cod tip: soak it in the fridge, changing the water 3–4 times a day.