Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a standard dish from Porto, in Northwest Portugal. As I’ve written in an earlier put up utilizing bacalhau, the Portuguese have been one of many first European cultures to fish for cod, off the coast of Newfoundland after Columbus found the New World. Salted cod has been an integral a part of Portuguese tradition, and it’s usually mentioned that you would be able to cook dinner a brand new dish utilizing bacalhau day-after-day of the yr – it’s usually cited that there are over 1,000 complete recipes to be discovered.
Advances in fishing know-how within the mid twentieth century had collapsed the Northwest Atlantic cod market by the Nineties – cod takes a very long time to mature, and overfishing had run rampant. At present, bacalhau is most frequently made utilizing cod harvested from Arctic waters underneath extra strict quotas.
Bacalhau is made by salting and drying the fish within the solar; whereas it was initially a technique of preservation (salted cod retains a very long time even with out refrigeration), its distinctive, sturdy taste is unmistakable and scrumptious, and its recognition endures at the moment. The one draw back to consuming bacalhau is that it requires a little bit of foresight, because it must be soaked in a single day to reconstitute the fish.
For those who’re new to utilizing bacalhau, you is perhaps shocked to search out that it’s accessible in lots of frequent grocery shops, usually bought close to the cured meats part. For instance, my native Publix grocery retailer sells just a few completely different sorts of bacalhau. I prefer to maintain some within the fridge always; I’ll usually throw some in a bowl of water, then put it within the fridge to soak in a single day, and both pan-fry it to take pleasure in with my breakfast, or making one thing fancy like at the moment’s recipe.
This dish is exclusive in that you simply spend most of your time getting all the pieces prepped earlier than really placing it collectively – baking the dish itself is a cinch.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (Gluten-free, Paleo, Primal, Good Well being Food plan)
1 lb salted cod
3 medium potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
12-15 black olives
1 massive handful contemporary parsley, chopped
2 hardboiled eggs, minimize into wedges, for serving
1 lemon, minimize into wedges, for serving
1. Prep the salted cod. Rinse in chilly water and place in a bowl; fill the bowl with water and place within the fridge. Soak the cod for at the least 12 however as much as 48 hours, switching out the water twice.
2. Take away the cod and place in a stockpot; cowl with water and convey to a boil. Cut back warmth to med/low and simmer for 10 minutes, then drain and put aside to chill, about 20 minutes. On the identical time, place the potatoes in a separate pot and canopy with water; convey to a boil, scale back warmth to med/low and simmer till simply tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and put aside to chill, about 20 minutes.
3. Because the cod and potatoes cook dinner and funky, caramelize the onion. Heat the oil in a skillet over med/low warmth, then add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté the onion till caramelized, lowering warmth as wanted to stop burning, about 40 minutes, stirring each jiffy. For those who time it proper, you possibly can prep all three objects – cod, potatoes, and onions – on the identical time.
4. As soon as the cod and potatoes have cooled, shred the cod with a fork and slice the potatoes into 1/4″ slices. Gently toss the potatoes with the melted butter, salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Add half of the potatoes to a casserole or gratin dish, then layer half of the fish, black olives, parsley, and caramelized onions on prime. Repeat with the remaining components. Bake till golden and barely crisped, about half-hour, then serve with egg and lemon wedges.
