Step into the heart of Portuguese Christmas traditions with a culinary adventure featuring Bacalhau da Consoada. As a language enthusiast sharing the beauty of Portuguese with English speakers, what better way to captivate your audience than by immersing them in the flavours and stories of this prato natalício (festive dish)?
Bacalhau, or salted codfish, takes centre stage in this time-honoured recipe. In this post, I look into why the Portuguese eat Cod for Christmas. Begin by carefully soaking the codfish, a process that not only rehydrates the fish but also sets the stage for the creation of a culinary masterpiece. If you need help with how to unsalt Portuguese cod, please check out my dedicated post on the process.
Ingredientes – 6 Pessoas | Ingredients – 6 People
- 900 g Lombo de bacalhau demolhado (900g cod loin, already soaked)
- 4 dentes de alho (4 garlic cloves)
- 1 folha de louro (1 bayleaf)
- 2 1/2 c.de chá de sal (2 1/2 tsp of salt)
- 2 couves-portuguesas – ~1,2 kg (2 Portuguese cabbages)
- 3 ovos M (3 medium sized eggs)
- 700g batatas para cozer (700g of potatoes for boiling)
- 5 c. de sopa de azeite (5 Tbsp of olive oil)
- 300g de cenoura (300 g of carrots)
- pimenta q.b. (pepper to taste)
Preparação | Preparation
1 – Ponha os lombos de bacalhau num tacho, cobrindo-os com água, junte um dente de alho esmagado e a folha de louro. Tempere com uma colher de chá de sal e reserve. (Place the cod loins in a saucepan, cover with water, add a crushed garlic clove and the bay leaf. Season with a teaspoon of salt and set aside.)
2 – Entretanto, separe as folhas das couve, eliminando o talo central e coza-as em água a ferver até estarem tenras. (Meanwhile, separate the cabbage leaves, remove the central stalk and cook them in boiling water until they are tender.)
3 – Ponha os ovos e as batatas descascadas noutro tacho, cubra com água e tempere com uma colher de chá de sal. Passados 10 minutos de a água estar a ferver retire os ovos e deixe cozer as batatas por mais 15 minutos ou até estarem tenras. (Put the eggs and peeled potatoes in another pot, cover with water and season with a teaspoon of salt. Remove the eggs 10 minutes after the water has boiled and cook the potatoes for another 15 minutes or until they are tender.)
4 – Aqueça duas colheres de sopa de azeite numa frigideira larga antiaderente, junte os restantes dentes de alho picados e as cenouras. Salteie durante 15 minutos sobre lume moderado. (Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the remaining chopped garlic cloves and the carrots. Sauté for 15 minutes over moderate heat.)
5 – Ao mesmo tempo, escorra muito bem as folhas de couve e leve o bacalhau ao lume, deixando ferver suavemente durante cerca de 8 minutos, ou até começar a abrir em lasca. (At the same time, drain the cabbage leaves well and bring the cod to the boil, simmering gently for about 8 minutes, or until it starts to splinter.)
6 – Pique um pouco a couve em tiras e adicione-a às cenouras. Tempere com o restante sal e pimenta moída na altura e salteie, mexendo ocasionalmente, até as cenouras estarem tenras. Junte as batatas escorridas e envolva com cuidado. (Chop the cabbage roughly into strips and add it to the carrots. Season with the remaining salt and freshly ground pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender. Add the drained potatoes and mix gently.)
7 – Coloque os legumes na travessa de serviço e por cima disponha os lombos de bacalhau, sem pele e limpos das espinhas maiores. Regue com o restante azeite e decore com os ovos cozidos cortados ao meio. (Place the vegetables on the serving platter and on top arrange the cod loins, skinned and cleaned of the largest bones. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and garnish with the hard-boiled eggs cut in half.)
Back to Portuguese Food or back to Portuguese Christmas Recipes.