How to Make Bacalhau à Brás – An Authentic Bacalhau à Brás (Recipe Guide)

Our full recipe guide on how to make Bacalhau à Brás the most popular dish in Portugal.

Bacalhau à Brás is a traditional Portuguese dish that masterfully combines simple ingredients to create a deliciously flavorful meal.

Bacalhau à Brás features shredded salt cod (bacalhau), onions, thinly sliced potatoes, and eggs, all brought together with a garnish of black olives and fresh parsley. Here’s how to make an authentic Bacalhau à Brás:

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How to Make Bacalhau à Brás

Bacalhau à Brás Recipe Ingredients

500g salt cod, soaked overnight and shredded
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
6 large eggs
Olive oil, for frying
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of chopped parsley
Black olives, to garnish
Salt (if needed, as the cod can be salty)

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Step By Step How to Make Bacalhau à Brás

Step 1 – Prepare the Cod

Soak the salt cod in water for 24 hours, changing the water several times to remove excess salt. Drain and shred the cod into small pieces. Make sure to remove any bones or skin.

Step 2 – Fry the Potatoes

Slice the potatoes into thin matchsticks. Pat them dry to remove any excess moisture.
Fry Potatoes: Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the potato sticks in batches until they are golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Step 3 – Cook the Cod and Onions

Sauté Onions and Garlic in the same pan, reduce the heat to medium, add more olive oil if needed. Add the shredded cod to the onion mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cod is heated through.

Step 4 – Combine Ingredients

Add the fried potatoes to the pan with the cod and onions, gently mixing them together.

Step 5 – Add the Eggs

Beat the Eggs: In a bowl, beat the eggs with some freshly ground black pepper. You may want to hold off on adding salt until the end, as the cod retains some saltiness even after soaking.
Cook the Eggs: Pour the beaten eggs over the potato and cod mixture, stirring gently over low heat until the eggs are softly set.

Step 6 – Garnish and Serve

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and scatter black olives around and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Tips To Make Bacalhau à Brás

Properly desalting the cod is crucial. If possible, start soaking it 36 hours in advance, changing the water every 8 hours. Ensure the potatoes are very thinly sliced to fry up crispy. You can use a mandolin slicer for even and thin slices.
Bacalhau à Brás is typically a standalone dish but can be served with a simple green salad and you can partner with wine.

How Many Calories Has A Bacalhau à Brás

Salt Cod (500g): Generally, cod is quite lean, with approximately 1450 calories for 500g. Potatoes are around 800 calories (200 calories each if each weighs roughly 300g).

Eggs (6 large): One large egg has about 70 calories, so six would contribute around 420 calories.
Olive Oil: Used for frying the potatoes and sautéing the onions and cod. Onions and Garlic are approximately 40-50 calories. Black Olives and Parsley are about 50 calories.
The total of calories combining all these elements each serving would roughly be around 817 calories.