Crispy Potato-Nest Bacalhau Brás Egg Cups

Method

1. Put the desalted cod in a 16 cm pot, cover with cold water and heat over medium-high heat. When small bubbles appear, turn off the heat and leave it for 8 min. Lift it out, remove skin and bones and shred it finely.

   Add in this stepSalt cod, desalted 120 g

   medium-high heat

2. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Peel the potatoes, grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, wrap them in a clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can (leftover water makes soggy nests). Mix the potato with the cornflour, cheese, most of the olive oil and a little salt. Brush the muffin cups with a little of the remaining oil, divide the potato between them and press it over the bottom and up the sides with the back of a spoon to make hollow nests.

   Add in this stepPotatoes 300 gCornflour (cornstarch) 2 tspFinely grated Parmigiano Reggiano 20 gOlive oil 1.6 tbspSalt to taste

3. Bake the muffin tin (number of cups × diameter: 4 × 7 cm) on oven for 20 min, until the edges are deep golden and crisp. If the potato still looks pale, give it a few more minutes.

   oven

4. Meanwhile heat the rest of the olive oil in a 20 cm pan and cook the finely chopped onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 min, until soft. Stir in the shredded cod and turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepOlive oil 0.4 tbspOnion (medium) ½Garlic cloves 1

   medium heat

5. Whisk the eggs, cream, pepper and parsley in a bowl (barely any salt; the cod is salty). Divide the cod mixture between the baked nests and pour the egg in to just below the rims. Top with the olive halves, lower the oven to 180 °C and bake on oven for 10 min, until the centres are just set with no liquid egg when you jiggle the tin.

   Add in this stepEggs 2Double (heavy) cream 4 tbspBlack pepper to tasteChopped parsley 1 tbspBlack olives, halved 4Salt to taste

   oven

6. Leave them in the tin for about 3 minutes, run a small knife around each one and lift them out gently. Eat them warm, while the nests are at their crispest.