Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (Cod and Potato Casserole)
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a traditional Portuguese casserole made with salted cod tender potatoes onions olives and boiled eggs baked in olive oil for a comforting dish from Porto with deep flavour and rustic charm
Ingredients
For the dish
- 600 g salted cod bacalhau, soaked for 24–48 hours, changing water several times
- 600 g waxy potatoes peeled and sliced into 0.5 cm rounds
- 3 medium onions thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boiled eggs sliced
- 80 g black olives preferably Portuguese varieties like Galega
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste (use sparingly as cod retains some salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- To begin, drain the soaked cod and place it in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until the flesh flakes easily. Remove, cool slightly, then flake into bite sized pieces, discarding skin and bones. Proceed to potato preparation.
- In a separate pan, boil the sliced potatoes in lightly salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender but still holding shape. Drain well and set aside. Transition to onion cooking.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook slowly for 8–10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Move to assembly preparation.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly oil a medium sized baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Spread half the potatoes evenly in the dish. Top with half the flaked cod, followed by half the onion mixture. Season lightly with pepper. Prepare the second layer.
- Repeat with remaining potatoes, cod, and onions. Remove bay leaf before baking. Drizzle the remaining olive oil evenly over the top to encourage a golden finish.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is lightly golden and bubbling. Prepare garnishes while baking.
- Remove from the oven and top with sliced boiled eggs and olives. Garnish generously with chopped parsley. Transition to serving.
- Serve immediately while warm with crusty bread to mop up the olive oil. For presentation, serve directly from the baking dish to keep the rustic charm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 846kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 101gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 321mgSodium: 10919mgPotassium: 3042mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 432IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 301mgIron: 6mg
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