Bacalhau à Brás
bacalhau à Brás
Shredded salt cod, matchstick potatoes, scrambled egg — Lisbon comfort, not a whole roast loin.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: bacalhau à Brás.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 24 hr 40 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

About
Bacalhau à Brás is soaked shredded salt cod tossed with fried potato straws, onion and eggs that just set. Olives, parsley. If you only have fresh fish, you can make it — it will not be bacalhau, and we will say so.
Ingredients
- Firm white fish, salt cod, soaked 24 hours, or fresh as a named stand-in400 g
- Potato, matchsticks400 g
- Onion2
- Egg5 large
- Green Olives40 g
- Parsley44 ml
- Olive oil74 ml
- Salt2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Soak salt cod, changing water, until it is pleasantly salty, 24 hours. Shred. Fry potato straws gold. Soften onion.
25 minStep 2
Toss fish with onion, then potatoes, then beaten eggs off the hardest heat so they just coat. Olives, parsley.
8 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Salt cod → Fresh white fish
Name it. You lose the cured depth.
Tips
- Fresh cod: salt it lightly and skip the soak. Call it à Brás-ish.
- The eggs should be glossy, not a dry scramble.
History & culture
The everyday bacalhau, not the Christmas loin. Portugal is said to have 365 salt-cod recipes; this is a Tuesday.
Salt cod is Atlantic trade. À Brás is a Lisbon tavern plate from the 19th century.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: JJ Merelo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bacalhau%20a%20bras%20en%20Mil%20Estorias%20(52214548936).jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Bacalhau à Brás take?
24 hr 40 min all in — 20 min prep, 20 min cook, 24 hr rest. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 pans. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Salt cod → Fresh white fish. Name it. You lose the cured depth.
Any tips from this recipe?
Fresh cod: salt it lightly and skip the soak. Call it à Brás-ish. The eggs should be glossy, not a dry scramble.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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