Bacalhau: Portugal's Salt Cod and the Dishes to Order

What bacalhau is: cod preserved in salt and dried

Bacalhau means cod that has been heavily salted and dried, a preservation method that keeps the fish firm and intensely savoury until it is rehydrated. In Portuguese cooking the term covers the ingredient itself, so a shop selling bacalhau is selling preserved fish, not a ready meal. Expect thick, stiff pieces with a grey-white surface and a strong salt smell.

Because the fish is cured rather than fresh, it needs a long soak in cold water before cooking, with the water changed along the way to pull out the salt. Recipes and cooks vary on how long, so follow the instructions that come with the piece you buy or the method in your recipe. This soaking stage is why salt cod is a weekend or holiday-kitchen ingredient rather than a quick one.

Why Portugal built a cuisine around salt cod

Salt cod is treated as a national ingredient in Portugal, and it is the preserving that made it practical: salted and dried cod travels well and keeps, so it became a staple that could be cooked in many ways. That is why one fish underpins so many different dishes.

For a visitor, the practical consequence is breadth. The same ingredient appears shredded with egg, layered with potato and cream, baked with onions and olives, or rolled into croquettes, which is why one short break can easily include three quite different bacalhau meals. If you want the wider map of Portuguese cooking before you choose, our guide to Portuguese food covers the dishes that sit alongside it.

The dishes worth ordering: à Brás, com natas, à Gomes de Sá and croquettes

Bacalhau à Brás is the dish to order if you want something rich and comforting: shredded salt cod folded through scrambled egg with fine fried potatoes, often finished with parsley and black olives. It arrives as a soft, golden mound rather than a fillet, and it is one of the most approachable introductions to the ingredient for anyone unsure about salt cod. The classic recipe is built on salt cod, scrambled egg and crisp chips, which tells you most of what the plate will be.

Bacalhau com natas takes the opposite route: flakes of fish layered with potatoes and onion under a cream sauce, baked until bubbling. It is heavier and milder than à Brás, which makes it a good pick for anyone who finds the saltiness of plain cod too strong. Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is the third classic, built around potatoes, onion, olives and egg, and it eats more like a substantial baked salad than a cream-laden gratin.

Pastéis de bacalhau, the salt cod croquettes, are the low-commitment option: a few small fried cakes, crisp outside and fluffy inside, sold in pastelarias and tascas as a snack rather than a main. Order a couple with a coffee or a glass of wine if you want to try salt cod without committing to a full plate. For the broader fried-fish and shellfish picture, our Portuguese seafood guide is the natural next read.

How bacalhau à Brás is made, and what to expect on the plate

The method is layered rather than complicated: soak and shred the cod, fry thin potato matchsticks until crisp, then add the fish and beaten egg and stir over the heat until the egg just sets. The olives and parsley go on at the end, and the whole thing is served straight away, because the potatoes lose their crunch if it sits.

On the plate, expect a portion that looks like a loose omelette studded with potato and flecks of fish, usually with a small salad or plain rice alongside. It is a knife-and-fork dish, not a sandwich filler, and the saltiness varies with how thoroughly the cod was soaked. If you are choosing between bacalhau dishes for one dinner, pick à Brás for texture and com natas for richness.

Salt cod at the counter: choosing bacalhau in a market or shop

At a market or fishmonger, salt cod is sold in stiff slabs or thick pieces, sometimes already shredded. Ask for the piece to be cut to the size of your meal, since a whole slab is more than a single serving.

Look for firm, pale flesh with a clean sea smell and no damp patches, and expect to pay by weight with the counter price per kilo on display. Outside Portugal, Portuguese and Iberian grocery shops are the likeliest stockists. Where a shop sells it, the staff can tell you which cut suits which dish.

How to order it: portions, sharing and what to drink

Bacalhau dishes are filling, and portions in Portugal tend to be generous, so two people can often share one à Brás or com natas and add a salad or a plate of the day's grilled fish. If you want a lighter meal, order the croquettes as a starter and follow with something grilled rather than a second baked cod dish. Grelhado means grilled, and a simple grilled fish is the cleanest counterweight to a rich bacalhau plate.

To drink, a crisp white or a light red from the same region as the dish works well, and house wine by the glass is the easiest way to keep the bill down. Prices vary too much between towns and restaurants for a reliable figure, so read the menu prices for the dishes and the couvert before ordering rather than assuming a standard. Finish with a pastel de nata from the display counter if you still have room.

Is bacalhau à Brás healthy? What is in it

Bacalhau à Brás is not a light dish. Its core ingredients are salt cod, eggs, potatoes fried in oil and onion, which means it is high in salt and fat and generous in calories, even though the fish itself is a lean protein. Treat it as a hearty main meal rather than a daily staple, and balance it with vegetables or a plain salad on the side.

How salty it actually is depends on the soaking and on the cook, so if you are watching salt, ask whether the cod was soaked overnight and choose grilled fish on another night. The egg and potato carry most of the calories; the olives and a drizzle of oil add more. If you want the lighter end of Portuguese cooking, our Portuguese seafood page covers the grilled route.

Which bacalhau dish should you order first?

Order bacalhau à Brás first if you want the classic texture and a dish that is hard to get wrong, com natas if you prefer something milder and creamier, and the croquettes if you only want a taste. Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is the one for anyone who likes olives and baked potato with their fish.

If you plan to cook it yourself, buy a piece cut to size and follow the soaking instructions that come with it, then look to the Portuguese desserts and pastries pages when you want something sweet afterwards. For more, see traditional Portuguese dishes.