Fish Recipes Special Featuring

Bacalhau

: All You Need To Know About The Portuguese Salted Cod

The Indian Connection: Bacalhau in Goa

Portugal colonised Goa from 1510 to 1961, and the culinary overlap runs deep. The most visible legacies are the use of vinegar in cooking (central to Goan dishes like vindaloo), pork preparations, and the broader Catholic food culture among the Goan Christian community. The Pork Vindaloo, which is a signature dish from the region, is also said to have had Portuguese origins from ‘Carne de vinha d'alhos’, meaning ‘meat with vinegar and garlic’.

Bacalhau itself appears in Goan Catholic homes, though it is rare. Bacalhau is not available in Goa, so if you have relatives abroad, you can ask them to add a few packs to their list of goodies when they come down. Those who do make it often follow a simple preparation: soaked and flaked cod cooked with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and olive oil, which is the Goan adaptation of the Portuguese original.

Using vinegar for many Goan dishes is a hallmark of Portuguese influence in the region, right around the time bacalhau was slowly rising to popularity. Dried fish preservation also has deep roots in coastal India. Local ingredients and fiery flavour are central to Portuguese cuisine, whose echoes can also be felt in Goa, where the Portuguese influences shine the most.

How Bacalhau is Prepared Before Cooking

• Bacalhau is first heavily salted and dried to preserve the cod for long-term storage. Before it can be used in cooking, the salt must be removed through a controlled desalting process.
• The fish is soaked in cold water for several hours to a few days, depending on thickness, with the water changed regularly so the salt slowly diffuses out.
• Once desalted, the bacalhau is often poached, boiled, or simmered to soften the flesh and make it easier to flake. 
• In many recipes, it is then broken into chunks or hand-shredded, with skin and bones removed. 
• This flaked or chunked fish becomes the base ingredient that is later incorporated into dishes like stews, fritters, or baked casseroles.

Classic Bacalhau Fish Recipes

After preparing the bacalhau, you can try some of the most famed Portuguese fish recipes. Some feature eggs and some potatoes for some simple dishes. Here are some popular bacalhau dishes.

Pastéis de Bacalhau

If Indians have their pakoras, the Portuguese have their pastéis de bacalhau made with the cured cod. Patties are made with bacalhau or salt cod, mashed potatoes, onion, and fresh parsley and are deep-fried. This is one of those Portuguese fish recipes which are the ultimate comfort food for many locals.

Bacalhau à Brás

In Lisbon taverns, shoestring potatoes and onions are suspended in beaten eggs, which cook into a creamy consistency with heaps of bacalhau flakes inside them. The concoction is folded over low heat, just enough to bind everything without fully scrambling.

Bacalhau com Natas

This is potato gratin, whose name literally means ‘Bacalhau with cream’. Flaked fish is combined with fried potatoes and onions, then submerged in a thick béchamel made with milk and cream before baking. The oven turns everything into a unified, rich mass, in all its cheesy, bubbly and gooey glory. This is quite an indulgent dish that makes the salty bacalhau quite palatable. 

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá

This dish is the one in the cover picture of the article, which is a traditional Portuguese baked dish. The bacalhau is first soaked in cold water and then simmered to remove excess salt and make it tender and flaky. Then the fish is added to a mix of sliced boiled potatoes tossed with sautéed onions. The mixture is then baked and served with parsley, olives, and hard-boiled egg slices.

Bacalhau à Lagareiro

This dish can be made with fresh cod fillets or even Bacalhau. This dish also goes by the name of Bacalhau no forno and is a classic Portuguese dish of roasted salted cod generously coated in olive oil and typically served with potatoes, onions, and garlic. The term ‘à Lagareiro’ refers to olive oil mill workers, linking the dish to early olive harvest traditions and the use of freshly pressed olive oil.

From Viking Seas to Goan Kitchens

Bacalhau connects centuries of history away from the coasts of Portugal, and like the explorers that they are, Vikings, whose roots are in the Scandinavian countries, kicked off the curing trend, and that was how Bacalhau was born. Combined with Portuguese maritime history, Catholic beliefs and a pitstop at the coastal kitchens in Goa, bacalhau is a cherish ingredients used in many dishes.