Bacalhau à Natas, faithful friend of flavor at Easter
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The Portuguese say they have a cod recipe for each of the 365 days of the year. Whether in Portugal, the country that most consumes this type of fish, or in Brazil, one of them stands out. Bacalhau à Natas makes whole families look forward to the arrival of Easter, the date on which the dish is most consumed around here. Baked in the oven, it traditionally has flaked codfish, pre-fried potatoes, cream or fresh cream and, of course, plenty of olive oil. With the tips of Daniele Estorilio, chef and manager of Lisboa Gastronomia and partner of Bacalhau em Casa, the preparation is tasty and practical.
The author of the original recipe is uncertain. There are those who believe that it was the Portuguese chef João Ribeiro who created and popularized it. Others say that it was the Conde da Guarda, which gives its name to a similar recipe. Estorilio explains that the origin is diffuse, as each region of Portugal has a particular version. “Even in Portugal you can find Bacalhau à Natas with diced and pre-fried potatoes, in other places they use potato chips”, he says.
At Lisboa Gastronomia, the preparation has been served since the restaurant’s birth, in 2002, still in Guarapuava, with a recipe by chef Lena Gomes. Ten years later, when they anchored in Curitiba, the dish remained firm and strong on the menu, where it remains to this day in two versions: the traditional one, with the following recipe, and Bacalhau com Natas and potato chips instead of potato chips. Both cost BRL 350 for a full portion and BRL 225 for a half portion.
Among the features that make the experience even more special are the potato chips prepared in the restaurant itself; the bowl where the cod is served, which adds charm and rusticity to the dish that arrives bubbly at the table; and the indispensable use of authentic cod, the Good morning or Atlantic cod, imported from Norway.
How to choose cod
The choice of fish is a key point for Bacalhau à Natas to be well executed at home. The ideal is to look for reliable suppliers of Good morning and prioritize the species for the preparation. Chef Daniele Estorilio explains that, as Bacalhau à Natas uses fish flakes, there are people who mix different types of cod and sell it as if it were just the authentic one. Therefore, checking the origin of the product is essential.
“Cod is more than a fish, it’s a process”, comments the expert, referring to the salting process the meat goes through. In Brazil, it is possible to find salted fish sold as “cod type”, but using lower quality species, to have a much cheaper price than the original. However, opting for this type of substitute compromises the flavor of the dish.
Be wary if the meat is very yellowish, authentic fish is very white, especially after being desalted. Unmistakable on the palate, it is smooth and melts in the mouth.
preparation tips
Well-done desalting defines whether a cod will be tasty or not so much. At Lisboa, the posts can stay up to ten days in this process in a specific camera for this. To desalt the chips, about three days are enough. The orientation at home is to manually remove the excess salt crust, place the chips on a platter, cover with cold water and ice and keep refrigerated, changing the water and ice twice a day. Despite the average time of three days, it is important to taste small pieces during desalting until they are at the ideal point for the palate of those who are going to prepare or consume the delicacy.
To make the preparation even more practical, it is possible to replace the homemade potato chips with those available in the market, already ready. The chef recalls that real cod has bones and that the chips are the part of the fish where they are most often found. Looking for and removing bones before assembling the dish and asking the guests at the table to pay attention to this prevents the tasting from being interrupted by skewers.
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Cod with Traditional Cream
do Lisboa Gastronomia
Preparation time1 hour
Performance3 people
Ingredients
- 300 g desalted cod in flakes
- 1 big onion
- 3 cloves of fried minced garlic
- 180 ml of olive oil
- 50 g sliced mozzarella cheese
- 50 g grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 grated carrot
- 80 g potato chips
- Salt, parsley and fine herbs to taste
- Whole olives for garnish
- For the cream sauce:
- 40 g of butter
- 30 g wheat flour
- 240 ml of milk
- 200 g fresh cream or cream
- Salt and nutmeg to taste
Cod
- In a pan over low heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt. Gradually add the wheat flour, stir well with a fouet and let it cook until it forms a dough.
- Always mixing, add the milk little by little until it thickens a little and the taste of flour disappears. Add the cream and season with salt and nutmeg.
- When the sauce boils, keep it on the fire for three minutes and set aside.
- In a container, season the desalted cod with olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt. Mix well and book. In another pan, sauté the sliced onion with a little olive oil, the fine herbs and set aside.
- In a clay pot or other ovenproof dish, spread a thin layer of cream sauce and layer it in: half the potato chips, half the sauteed onion, half the grated carrot, half the seasoned cod, cream covering all ingredients. Repeat the layers: potato, onion, carrot, cod and generous layer of sauce.
- Cover with sliced mozzarella and grated parmesan.
- Take to preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes. In the last few minutes, increase the temperature until the cheese gratins. Decorate with olives and serve. Enjoy!
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