My absolute favourite Portuguese dish! Bacalhau a Bras is such a comforting treat: salted codfish, melting onions, and finely shredded fried potatoes, all bound together with runny eggs. It’s hard to describe what makes this dish so incredibly moreish, but I’d say it’s the simplicity of the ingredients, that, once put together, create an incredibly subtle flavour sensation. It’s definitely more than the sum of its parts!
I’ve eaten bacalhau a bras countless times in Portugal, so I tested this recipe quite a few times for it to be just absolutely right. One really important thing is that the eggs are not supposed to be scrambled. So, you don’t want eggy bits in the dish. Instead, you’re looking for the egg to emulsify, binding together the ingredients without being properly cooked (it’s the heat of the ingredients in the pan that should lightly set the eggs – not the frying pan itself).
The other challenge was the potatoes. The best bacalhau a bras is made with freshly fried matchstick potatoes – which, let’s face it, is a lot of work. Lots of places use fried matchstick crisps as a shortcut, but it just doesn’t taste right, as it lacks the soft potatoey texture. I found the best solution to get the flavour of fried potatoes with the small soft potato bits is to use hash browns. But: I’m also adding some matchstick potato crisps in the end, as it does make for a more authentic experience. Overall, I think I nailed it by combining the two. Let me know what you think!
I ate bacalhau a bras in my show ‘Bom Dia Anne’, in which I travelled around Portugal to discover the local cuisine. You can watch me here enjoying it at Tasca Zebras.
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