Ensopado de Bacalhau e Camarão is a classic Portuguese dish with many regional variations. It is simple to prepare and comes together with pantry staples, making it a reliable cold-weather meal.
Salt cod aficionados prize the particular saline flavor of bacalhau, which cannot be replicated with fresh cod — it is sometimes called the “prosciutto of the sea.”
Serves: 4 | Time: 45 minutes (plus 24–48 hours desalting in advance)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb (450 g) salt cod, desalted
- 8 large shrimps, peeled and de-veined
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 large red, orange, or green pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
- 4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups (140 g) kale leaves, roughly chopped, or more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
About bacalhau: Bacalhau is cod that has been preserved by dry-salting — a very old and sustainable method. While most closely associated with Portuguese cuisine, it also appears in Spain (bacalao), southern France (morue salée), and Italy (baccalà and stoccafisso).
Desalting: Soak the cod for at least 24 hours, ideally 48 hours, changing the water 2–3 times a day. Soaking time depends on the thickness and dryness of the piece. In Portugal, supermarkets often sell bacalhau demolhado (already soaked and desalted). Before cooking, do a test run: simmer a small piece for 10 minutes, let it cool, and taste it — it should be mildly saline. Bear in mind that pan-frying or roasting can concentrate residual salt.
Preparation
Cook the cod. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the desalted cod and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Reserve the cooking water.
Cook the potatoes. Return the cooking water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes and set aside. Reserve the cooking water again.
Vegetable Base. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the paprika and cook for 2–3 minutes more. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 minutes.
Assemble and finish. Add the cod, potatoes, kale, and enough of the reserved cooking water to just cover everything. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimps and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they just turn pink. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. If the stew is too thick, add more cooking water to reach a soupier consistency.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the chopped parsley.
Notes
Shrimps: Large shrimps work best here. Add them at the very end — they cook quickly and will turn rubbery if overdone.
Kale: Any sturdy green — Tuscan kale, curly kale, or even Swiss chard — works well. Adjust the quantity to taste.
Cooking water: The water used to poach the cod and potatoes carries flavor — don’t discard it. It doubles as a light broth for the stew.
