Portuguese cod stew (bacalhau or bacalhoada) is layered and baked in the oven. Made with cod, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, onions, olives and lots of olive oil, it’s a filling recipe for cozy nights.
When my Brazilian friend and food blogger Fernanda first mentioned that she wanted to make a Portuguese cod stew (aka bacalao or bacalhoada), I was intrigued.
Given how good Fernanda’s Salmon Fish Stew turned out, I was ready to try it!
Salt cod is not an easy item to find in the supermarket.
Salt-preserved cod has been a staple food in North America and Europe for possibly hundreds of years. But with the advances in modern refrigeration over the last century, it was actually hard to come by for decades.
Too bad it’s so hard to find as the drying process that preserves salt cod heavily concentrates its flavor.
Cod stew names: bacalhoada, bacalhau, and bacalao
When I first tried Fernanda’s Bacalhoada, as it’s called in Portuguese (or Bacalao in Spanish), I knew I had to make it.
We found the cod at a local Italian specialty market. Fernanda’s instructions included ingredients and methods, but not quantities. So for the most part, this is my guess based on my memory of the dish and other bacalhoada and bacalao recipes I’ve found online.
Most of the recipes I’ve found are based on cod, potatoes and onions. Many of the recipes are also layered with sliced fresh tomatoes, which would be perfect in summer.
I double layered this dish in a Dutch oven and cooked it on the stove. Most of the recipes I found used a wide casserole dish, had just one layer of fish, and baked them in the oven. The hard boiled eggs surprisingly really work with the flavors of this dish.
Tips for Bacalhoada Cod Stew
- Adapt to salt. If you’ve changed the soaking water multiple times, you may end up washing away all of the salt from the fish. In this case you need to add some salt again. Be sure to taste the fish before adding it to the casserole so you know if and how much salt to add.
- Add plenty of olive oil. Being generous with the olive oil helps. If you get the stew on your plate and it tastes a little dry, add more olive oil. The oil combines all flavors.
Variations of cod stew to try
Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod, and the variety of recipes that highlight Bacalhau are numerous. Recipes for cod stew spread throughout the countries colonized by Portugal and across Europe when salting and drying cod was the only way to preserve the fish (well before refrigeration). In the 20th century, cod stew spread to Norway via Spain and Italy.
The much revered cod itself is an import from Norway. Portuguese fishermen brought the salted fish back from Norwegian waters in the 16th century.
Some make it with or without tomatoes. Others soak in milk, while others would never touch dairy with their fish. Variations include different types of olives (or none), with or without hard-boiled eggs. Some add garlic, others add shallots.
However you prepare your cod stew, add what you like to suit your own taste.
Looking for a bacalao recipe?
The Spanish cousin of this Portuguese dish is bacalao. It is similar in that it uses stockfish, onions, potatoes and olives, but also includes tomatoes. The Spanish version was introduced to Norwegian cuisine and is spelled Bakalao in Norwegian.
Here’s Marta Rivera’s Bacalao Guisado recipe, which is Puerto Rican and is similar to the Spanish version. It contains tomatoes and is cooked on the stove.
How to store and reheat cod stew
This bacalhoada recipe makes quite a large pot, so you might have some leftover to enjoy later. Simply cool the stew to room temperature, and you can pop the whole covered pot in the fridge.
When you’re ready to reheat the stew, simply place the pot on your stovetop and gently heat over low heat until heated through. Stockfish stew will keep, covered, in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
What to serve with cod stew
- Bread without kneading
- Lightly cooked long grain rice
- rice pilaf
- Arugula lamb’s lettuce with bacon
- Caesar salad
More cod recipes to try
- Bacalao Guisado (cod stew)
- cod cake
- Escabeche (Pacific black cod)
- Baked cod with Ritz cracker topping
- Moqueca (Brazilian fish stew)
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Bacalhau (Portuguese cod stew)
ingredients
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1 lb cod filletspreferably skinless and boneless
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3/4 to 1 Cup good quality Extra virgin olive oil
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milkOptional
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2 big yellow or sweet Vidalia onionscut
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2 lb waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold works great), peeled
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4 big eggshard boiled and sliced
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above 40 pitted black olives (I used Kalamata olives; can also use green olives)
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Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
method
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Soaking cod in water:
Salted cod is usually supplied either in dry fillets, already boned and skinned, or whole. The fillets must be rinsed, then soaked in water and kept refrigerated for 24 hours, changing the water once or twice.
If using a whole fish, not prepared fillets, you must soak it in water, even with multiple water changes, for up to 48 hours and remove the bones and skin and discard after soaking.
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Preheat oven (optional):
If you plan on baking the bacalhoada instead of simmering it on the stovetop, preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Simmer the cod in milk and/or water:
Put cod in a pot. Add enough milk, water, or a mixture of milk and water to just cover. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes. Remove the fish and set aside.
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Boil and slice the potatoes:
Pre-cook the potatoes for 20 minutes (you can cook them in the water you cooked the fish in if you like). Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices.
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Layer the casserole:
In a large Pyrex casserole dish or Dutch oven (use a Dutch oven if cooking on a stovetop), brush the base generously with olive oil. Place a layer of sliced onions at the bottom of the pan.
Place a layer of sliced potatoes over the onions.
Crumble the stockfish with your fingers, place the pieces of stockfish in a single layer over the potatoes. Taste the fish for saltiness. After a day of soaking and further cooking, the fish should have just a hint of saltiness. If most of the salt has been soaked from the fish and the fish doesn’t taste salty at all, you may need to sprinkle some more salt on the fish while laying down the layers.
Pour a generous amount of olive oil over the fish. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Repeat with another layer of onions, potatoes, fish, olive oil, pepper (and more salt if needed).
Then finish with layers of onions, potatoes, more olive oil, sliced hard boiled eggs and olives.
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Cooking or baking on the stove:
Place on the stove over medium heat and cook covered for 30 minutes. Or bake, covered, in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until fully cooked through.
Serve with rice and salad or crusty bread.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 594 | calories |
| 33g | Fat |
| 31g | carbohydrates |
| 42g | protein |
