The Braga preparation of salt cod: thick fillets fried with onion rings, green pepper and olive oil, served with home-fried potatoes and olives. Distinct from Lisbon and Porto versions by its pepper and onion volume.

Bacalhau a Braga is one of the 365 ways of cooking bacalhau documented across Portugal, but it holds a specific Minho character. The thick fried onion rings and green peppers distinguish it from the northern a Ze do Pipo or the southern Gomes de Sa preparations. The dish crystallised as a Braga signature at family restaurants in the mid-20th century; Restaurante Tia Isabel and Arcoense are its two canonical addresses. Cozinha da Se near the cathedral has kept the preparation on its menu since the 1990s without modification.

Where to eat Bacalhau a Braga in Braga

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Make it at home

Serves 413 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 4 thick bacalhau (salt cod) fillets, about 200g each
  • 3 large onions, cut into thick rings
  • 2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 800g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • Handful of black olives
  • Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Desalt the bacalhau: soak for 12 to 24 hours in cold water, changing water 3 times. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Fry the potato wedges in olive oil over medium-high heat until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season and set aside.
  3. In a large pan, heat more olive oil over medium heat. Fry the onion rings and green pepper strips slowly until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add garlic for the last 2 minutes.
  4. Push the onion and pepper to the edges. Raise heat to medium-high and fry the bacalhau fillets, skin-side down first, 4 minutes per side.
  5. Arrange on a platter with potatoes, olives and the onion-pepper mix spooned over. Scatter parsley and crack black pepper generously.

Editor tip. The quality of the olive oil defines the dish; use the best Portuguese extra-virgin available.

Common allergens: Fish, Gluten.