Bacalhau com NatasCreamy Baked Salt Cod

If bacalhau à Brás is the Lisbon tasca favourite, bacalhau com natas is the one families make at home for a crowd. Flaked cod and fried potato cubes are folded into a creamy white sauce, then baked until the top turns golden. Kids who refuse "fish" usually ask for seconds.

It's also very forgiving: assemble it in the morning and bake it when people arrive.

The recipe

Bacalhau com NatasCreamy Baked Salt Cod

Flaked salt cod, golden potatoes and onions baked in a creamy sauce until bubbling. The comforting bacalhau dish of Portuguese family lunches.

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Prep30 min

Cook35 min

Total65 min

Serves6

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

6

½×1×2×3×

• 500 g soaked salt cod (see our guide to soaking bacalhau)
• 800 g potatoes, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml milk
• 200 ml single cream (natas)
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 50 g grated cheese (optional)
• Black pepper

Method

1. Fry or air fry the potato cubes until golden (air fryer: 200 °C for 18–20 minutes with a spray of oil). They don't need to be fully crisp.
2. Poach the cod in barely simmering water for 5 minutes. Drain, remove skin and bones and flake it.
3. Soften the onions in the olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the cod and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
4. Make the white sauce: melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until thick and smooth. Season with nutmeg and pepper.
5. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Mix the cod and onions, the potatoes and two-thirds of the white sauce in an ovenproof dish.
6. Stir the cream into the remaining sauce and pour it over the top. Sprinkle with cheese if using.
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Clear ticks

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What to serve with it

A sharp green salad cuts through the richness. Bacalhau com natas pairs well with a white Vinho Verde or an Alentejo white.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Portuguese

Costa Nova oval baker, 30 cm

An oven-to-table baking dish, the right size for bacalhau com natas or arroz de pato for four to six.

Tip: Oven-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe stoneware.

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Portuguese

Casafina Eivissa oval baker

A big hand-glazed Portuguese baker for gratins, roasts and rice dishes that go straight to the table.

Tip: 36 × 23 cm: feeds six.

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Portuguese

Authentic Portuguese Cooking (cookbook)

Over 185 classic recipes from mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. A highly rated home-cooking reference.

Tip: Good for family recipes you remember but never wrote down.

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