History

Jose Luis Gomes de Sa, a 19th-century cod merchant in Porto, sold his family's recipe to a chef at the Restaurante Lisbonense in the late 1800s. The recipe was condition: never change it. The dish spread from Porto across Portugal and remains the city's contribution to the bacalhau preparation canon, eaten on Christmas Eve and at family Sunday lunches.

Common allergens: Fish, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 24 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 600g salt cod loin, soaked for 24 hours with three water changes
  • 800g floury potatoes, peeled
  • 2 large onions, sliced thin
  • 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 100g black olives
  • 200ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Soak salt cod 24 hours, changing water three times. Boil for 8 minutes until just cooked. Drain, cool, shred into large flakes, removing skin and bones.
  2. Boil potatoes whole in salted water for 25 minutes. Drain, cool, slice into 5mm rounds.
  3. Fry onions and garlic in 100ml olive oil over low heat with the bay leaf, 25 minutes, until soft and golden.
  4. Layer half the potatoes in an oven dish, half the cod, half the onions. Repeat.
  5. Pour over remaining olive oil. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes until heated through.
  6. Garnish with quartered eggs, olives and parsley. Serve with the baking dish at the table.

Tip from the editors. The cod must be soaked for at least 24 hours; under-soaked and the dish is too salty. Buy thick centre loins not tail pieces; they hold their shape after shredding.

Where to eat bacalhau a gomes de sa

Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa in Porto

Adega Sao Nicolau ★ 4.3

Traditional Portuguese€€ribeira

Adega Sao Nicolau in Porto's Ribeira has been pouring red since the 1940s, serving polvo a lagareiro on a small Douro-facing terrace below the quay.

Signature: Polvo a lagareiro, Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa

Order: Polvo a lagareiro: octopus baked with potatoes, garlic and a slug of olive oil.

Tip: Lunch service from noon. The river-side terrace fills first; the inside room is cooler in August.

Rua de Sao Nicolau 1, 4050-561 Porto

DOP ★ 4.5

Modern Portuguese€€€€ribeira

DOP at Largo de Sao Domingos in Porto is chef Rui Paula's modern-Portuguese tasting room inside the Palacio das Artes Fabrica de Talentos, opened in 2010.

Signature: Cataplana of seafood, Slow-cooked pork cheek

Order: Tasting menu with wine pairing. Cataplana de mariscos a la carte for one plate.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Lunch tasting is cheaper than dinner and runs the same kitchen.

Largo de Sao Domingos 16, 4050-545 Porto Book →

Abadia do Porto ★ 4.0

Traditional Portuguese€€baixa

Abadia do Porto in Porto's Baixa has served traditional Portuguese plates since 1939, with a cataplana to share, bacalhau a Gomes de Sa and a 200-label wine.

Signature: Cataplana, Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa

Order: Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa with potatoes and olives.

Tip: Closed Sunday. The tiled side room is calmer than the main hall.

Rua do Ateneu Comercial do Porto 22, 4050-085 Porto

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