Serves: 4 | Time: 30 min plus 24–48 hrs desalting in advance
Salt codfish is widely used in Portugal in all shapes and forms. This simple and comforting soup is dearly loved in the region of Alentejo during winter. — a poor man’s soup made with the salt cod cooking water rather than fish stock. This recipe uses a clear vegetable stock to maintain its traditional appearance, but with a more rounded taste.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) salt cod, center cut (thick part), desalted, cut into 1½-inch (3.8 cm) cubes
- 1 medium onion, whole
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 medium eggs, poached
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander) or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Firm country bread toasted, to serve
Preparation
Simmer the cod. In a deep saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock to a boil together with the whole onion and the salt cod pieces. Add more warm stock if necessary to barely cover the fish. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove the cod and onion from the pot and reserve the broth. Pass the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, checking for any stray fish bones. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart.
Sauté the garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned.
Return the cod to the pot and add the sautéed garlic. Warm gently over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve. Divide the cod and potatoes into 4 bowls, ladle the broth over, and top each with a slice of toasted bread and a poached egg. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, scatter with fresh cilantro or parsley, and serve with extra toasted bread.
Notes
Bacalhau is codfish (traditionally Atlantic cod) preserved by dry-salting. It’s one of the oldest and most sustainable methods of fish preservation, and while most closely associated with Portuguese cuisine, it also features in Spanish (bacalao), southern French (morue salée), and Italian (baccalà and stoccafisso) cooking.
How long you soak the cod depends on the thickness of the cut and how dry it is. A minimum of 24 hours is recommended, changing the water 2–3 times a day; 48 hours is better for thicker pieces. To test: poach a small piece in barely simmering water for 10 minutes, let it cool, and taste — it should be mildly saline. Note that pan-frying or roasting concentrates residual salt, so what tastes right for soup may be too salty for those methods.
Supermarkets in Portugal often sell “bacalhau demolhado” (already desalted cod), but it’s worth doing a taste test before using it, as soaking times and results vary.
Poach the eggs just before serving so the yolk is still runny when it breaks into the broth.