Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau ★ 3.6
Casa Portuguesa on Lisbon's Rua Augusta: a 4-euro cod cake stuffed with melted Serra da Estrela, paired with a glass of port, snack-sized on a wood plate.
Try: Pastel de bacalhau with Serra cheese
History
The pastel de bacalhau (called bolinho de bacalhau in the north) emerged in the 19th century as cod-fishing fleets from the Algarve and Newfoundland brought endless dry salt cod to Portuguese kitchens. The Lisbon two-spoon shaping method (moulded between soup spoons into a three-rib oval) became canonical by 1900. It is now sold at every tasca, mercado counter and beach kiosk. Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau on Rua Augusta launched its stuffed-with-Serra-cheese variant in 2015; Solar dos Presuntos plates the classical version with vinho verde. A midmorning or aperitivo snack, never a main.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Fish, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g dry salt cod (bacalhau)
- 500g floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs (beaten)
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper
- 1L sunflower oil for deep frying
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- Soak the salt cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water 4 to 5 times to remove the salt. The cod should taste pleasantly salty, not aggressive, after soaking.
- Drain. Poach the cod in fresh barely-simmering water for 8 to 10 minutes until the flesh flakes; do not boil hard or it turns rubbery.
- Lift out; cool on a board. Remove every skin and bone; flake the cod into a bowl by hand into thin shreds (the texture should be like wool, not paste).
- Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until very tender. Drain; peel; pass through a potato ricer into a wide bowl. Let the rice steam off for 5 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium-low. Sweat the onion 6 to 8 minutes until soft; add the garlic; cook 1 minute more. Cool slightly.
- Combine the riced potato, flaked cod, softened onion-and-garlic mix, parsley and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix gently with two forks; do not mash; the mixture should be coarse, not a paste.
- Stir in the beaten eggs to bind. Taste; correct with salt and white pepper.
- Heat the sunflower oil to 170°C / 340°F in a deep heavy pan.
- Shape each pastel with two soup spoons: scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture in one spoon; press and shape with the second spoon, transferring back and forth three times to form the characteristic three-ribbed oval (this is the Lisbon two-spoon shape).
- Slide each oval into the hot oil; fry 4 to 5 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Lift onto kitchen paper with a slotted spoon.
- Serve warm with lemon wedges and a glass of port, vinho verde or a chilled lager.
Tip from the editors. The cod must be dry salt cod, soaked a full 24 hours; fresh cod is wrong texture and unsalted. The two-spoon shape is essential; a scoop loses the profile.
Where to eat pastel de bacalhau
Pastel de bacalhau in Lisbon
Solar dos Presuntos ★ 4.5
Solar dos Presuntos in Restauradores, Lisbon: a family seafood institution open since 1974, famous for cured ham, Minho cuisine and a celebrity wall.
Signature: Arroz de marisco, Roast kid, Bacalhau a Braz
Order: The plate of presunto first, then arroz de marisco for two.
Tasca do Jaime ★ 4.0
Tasca do Jaime is tile-walled graca tasca with a chalkboard menu, iscas com elas and pataniscas at workers' prices a block from the miradouro.
Why locals love it: Tile-walled Graca tasca with a chalkboard menu, iscas com elas and pataniscas at workers' prices a block from the Miradouro.
Tip: Cash only. Closed Sundays. Often a queue at 13:00. Sit at the back room for the longer-running fado on the speakers.
Bistro 100 Maneiras ★ 4.7
Bistro 100 Maneiras on Largo da Trindade in Chiado: the casual sister of 100 Maneiras in Bairro Alto, opened by Ljubomir Stanisic with late hours and a noted.
Signature: Steak tartare, Roasted bone marrow, Russian-style salad
Order: The tartare bar selection, two cuts compared side by side.
More cities are in research. Want pastel de bacalhau covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.