Lisbon, Portugal; Bacalhau à Brás attributed to a Lisbon tavern keeper named Brás, c. late 19th century; Christmas Eve bacalhau consumption predates this particular preparation by centuries.
In Portugal, Christmas Eve (Consoada) is the most important meal of the Christmas celebration, and bacalhau — salt cod — is the essential ingredient. Bacalhau à Brás is perhaps the most beloved of Portugal's 365 documented bacalhau preparations: shredded salt cod mixed with fried potato straws and onion, bound with lightly scrambled eggs and garnished with olives and parsley. The preparation is fast (once the salt cod has been properly desalted), deeply savoury, and produces a texturally complex dish — the crisp potato, the yielding cod, and the barely-set egg create three distinct textures that meld in the eating. The salt cod's desalting is the preparation's most time-consuming element and the most critical: 48 hours minimum in cold water, changed three times daily, is required to reduce the salt to the correct level — still salty, but not inedibly so.
Desalt the salt cod for minimum 48 hours in cold water, changing the water 3 times daily — insufficient desalting produces an inedibly salty dish After desalting, remove all skin and bones, then shred finely — very fine shredding distributes the cod evenly throughout the dish Fry the potato straws in plenty of oil until golden and crisp — they will soften slightly when combined with the egg; start crisper than the target texture Cook the onion slowly until fully caramelised before adding the cod — the sweetness of properly caramelised onion is essential to the dish's balance Add eggs off heat and fold — the residual heat should barely set the eggs; they should remain slightly glossy and just cohesive Black olives (Taggiasca or Kalamata) added at the end provide the essential salty, bitter counterpoint
The best bacalhau à Brás is made with high-quality salt cod from Norway or the Faroe Islands — the desalting process is the same but the base product's quality is significantly different For the most even cooking of the eggs: scramble them separately until just barely set in another pan, then fold into the cod-potato mixture — this gives more control A splash of white port or white wine added to the onion while caramelising gives a slight sweetness that is characteristic of some Lisbon versions
Insufficient desalting — the most common failure; the dish will be too salty to eat Over-scrambling the eggs — the eggs should barely set; stiff scrambled eggs make the dish dry and dense Soft potato straws — the crispness of the fried potato provides the textural contrast that makes the dish; cook them fully Too little parsley — the fresh herb finish is structural; be generous Combining components too far ahead of serving — the potato straws soften with time; assemble and serve immediately