Not everyone will agree and oblige with the “hot” side of things but there’s no denying that at its best, Portuguese cooking is extremely good. This week we have a special surprise - allow us to introduce Ms Fátima Cabral, mother of the very well-known “Fabio” of Mike’s Kitchen Rustenburg. We have asked Fátima to treat us to a typical Portuguese dish and her choice was Bacalhau á Gomes de Sá - or in English - Portuguese Salted Cod Casserole... Before you turn the page over - there’s no need to worry - this is not hot at all!
Fátima prepares this wonderful dish as follows:Ingredients:
1 kg cod fish;
1 kg large potatoes;
6 large onions;
6 eggs;
100 ml olive oil (preferably Gallo);
8 black olives;
parsley to taste;
Garlic to taste;
Pinch of salt.
Method:
Soak the cod fish in cold water to cover for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water occasionally and drain. The cod fish must be soaked in water otherwise it could be too salty. Cook the large potatoes with their skins in a deep pot. After it has been cooked, thoroughly cut the potatoes in slices/discs.
Boil the six eggs and slice them afterwards. Cube the large onions and chop the garlic accordingly. In another pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Heat until it becomes a golden colour.
Add the cod fish and the parsley to the pot and cook until it becomes a light brown colour. Flake the cod fish into small pieces. Grease a heatproof dish with a teaspoon of olive oil. Spoon a bit of the cod fish into the dish, then add a layer of potatoes,. Layer the casserole dish up to the top of the pot. Place the eggs and parsley right on top. Drizzle with olive oil. Place in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 20 minutes depending on your oven.
Once it is done, garnish with olives on top. This dish can be served with a green salad and rice and is best paired with a quality red wine. Come on - invite all your friends and treat them to this fine Portuguese dish instead of the usual braai next time - it really pays to experiment and this will definitely widen your horizons! Thanks Fátima!
