Bacalhau à Brás

Method

1. Desalt the cod in advance (see the note). Put the soaked cod in a 18 cm pot, cover with cold water and heat it slowly over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles appear at the edge, turn off the heat and leave the fish in the hot water for 8 min. Lift it out and, once cool enough to touch, remove all skin and bones and shred the flesh into thin threads with your fingers.

   Add in this stepSalt cod, desalted 240 g

   medium-high heat

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into very thin matchsticks, about 2–3 mm thick and 5 cm long (if you use a mandoline, always use the hand guard). Rinse them in cold water to wash off the starch, then dry them thoroughly in a clean towel: wet potatoes spit violently in hot oil and never turn crisp.

   Add in this stepPotatoes 300 g

3. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat to 175 °C (pot size · number of batches: 18 cm · 2×). It is ready when a potato stick sizzles at once and floats up. The oil should fill no more than a third of the pot. Fry the potatoes a handful at a time for 4 min per batch, stirring gently, until pale golden and crisp, then lift onto paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Never leave hot oil unattended, keep children away, and turn off the heat if it smokes.

   Add in this stepSunflower oil for frying 750 mlSalt to taste

   medium-high heat

4. Heat the olive oil in a wide 24 cm frying pan and add the thinly sliced onion, thinly sliced garlic and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat for 7 min, until the onion is soft and translucent with just a touch of colour at the edges. Turn the heat down if the garlic starts to brown; burnt garlic tastes bitter.

   Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil 3 tbspOnion (medium) 1Garlic cloves 2Bay leaf 1

   medium heat

5. Add the shredded cod and cook over medium heat for 3 min, stirring, so it soaks up the onion and oil. Keep one small handful of potatoes aside for the top and stir the rest into the pan. Remove the bay leaf now.

   medium heat

6. Beat the eggs with pepper in a bowl. The cod is salty, so taste before adding any salt. Turn the heat to low heat, pour in the eggs and stir constantly with a spatula for 1 min 30 sec, until they are just set but still creamy and glossy, then take the pan off the heat at once. The eggs keep cooking in the pan's heat, so don't let them go firm.

   Add in this stepEggs 3Black pepper to tasteSalt to taste

   low heat

7. Off the heat, stir in the parsley, scatter the reserved potatoes and the black olives on top and serve straight away, before the potatoes soften.

   Add in this stepChopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tbspBlack olives 8