Bacalhau com Natas | Portuguese Baked Codfish with Cream

Boil 800 grams of deboned cod fish in a pot of water for about 5 minutes.

Remove the cod fish from the pot and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping the water in the pot.

Once cooled, shred the cod fish using a tea towel to remove excess moisture and place it in a bowl.

Cut 10 medium sized potatoes into long thin strips for frying.

Deep fry the potato strips in hot vegetable oil until golden brown and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.

In a large deep fry pan, heat half a cup of olive oil and add 3 small diced onions and 1 garlic clove, cooking for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the shredded cod fish to the onion mixture and mix well.

Add half a teaspoon of ground white pepper, half a teaspoon of black ground pepper, and half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the cod mixture and mix thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, melt half a cup of unsalted butter over low to medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the melted butter and stir until combined.

Gradually add 1 and a half cups of the reserved cod fish water while stirring continuously.

Add 1 cup of milk and stir until combined, then add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add 200 milliliters of heavy cream to the saucepan and stir until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.

Combine half of the cream mixture with the cod fish mixture and then add the remaining half, mixing until well combined.

Transfer the cod fish mixture to a glass pyrex tray and spread it out evenly.

Grate fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the cod fish mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the dish for 30 minutes.

For the last 5 minutes, switch to broil to achieve a crispy topping.

Let the dish cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Equipment Needed

Allergens