Sunday Flavors

BACALHAU À BRAZ
(CODFISH WITH EGGS AND FRIES)

Bacalhau à Braz is another typical Portuguese codfish recipe, made from codfish flakes, onion and garlic, thin strips of fried potatoes, all bounded by eggs. Bairro Alto, in Lisbon, is probably the original place of this recipe were a taverner had the brilliant idea of mixing all those ingredients. Nowadays you can find this recipe all over the country as well as in Portuguese and Macanese restaurants here in Macau.
This time I used good size codfish flakes and not so thin fries so that you can notice very well the ingredients. Then, I involved the eggs very gently to avoid shredding everything. You want a real Bacalhau à Braz, not a “codfish paste”.

YOU WILL NEED (serves 4):
500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of salt codfish;
200 ml / 7 ¼ fl oz of olive oil
2 medium size yellow onions, sliced;
3 garlic cloves;
1 bay leaf;
1 teaspoon of paprika;
Dash of white wine;
600 gr / 1 lb and 5 ¼ oz of potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips;
6 to 8 eggs;
Salt;
Freshly ground pepper;
3 tablespoons of fresh flat leave parsley, chopped;
Black olives to garnish.

METHOD:

Rinse the codfish very well and leave it in cold water for at least 12 hours, if a thin cut, or 24 hours, if thick, changing the water several times to reduce the saltiness of the fish;
After soaking, drain and boil the codfish for 10 to 15 minutes (just to flake it easily). Drain and cool;

Discard skin and bones and flake it roughly (I like to get good size flakes);
In vegetable oil, deep fry potatoes until crisp and golden, drain over paper towels and reserve;
In a saucepan, heat olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf and paprika and sauté for 5 minutes;
Drizzle with a dash of white wine and sauté a few more minutes to concentrate the flavor and evaporate the alcohol;
Remove bay leaf;
Over low heat, add codfish flakes and stir gently to avoid shredding it;
Add fried potatoes and stir again gently;
Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and half of the chopped parsley;
Over very low heat, add the eggs to the saucepan and cook until done, stirring gently (about 3 minutes only if you don’t like the eggs to dry);
Serve on a platter garnished with the remaining parsley and black olives.