From what to do with the leftovers, a national icon.
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There are recipes that are born out of necessity and end up becoming an identity.
The Cod Brás is one of them.
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The story takes us to the Bairro Alto, Lisbon, late 18th century. Between taverns and long nights, a tavern keeper named Brás (or Braz) found the perfect formula for disposing of leftover desalted cod: crumble it, mix it with finely sliced and fried potato, onion, beaten egg and fresh parsley.
.The result was simple, satisfying and brilliant. So brilliant that it crossed the tavern and settled in the collective memory.
He christened it unpretentiously: “à Brás” literally means “the Brás way”. Today you can find it in every corner of Portugal, from grandma's table to the menu of a signature restaurant with its “reinterpretation”.
Creaminess, crunchiness and savoury flavour in one bite. It continues to win by a landslide because it delivers on everything: it's easy to make, filling, comforting and tastes like Portugal.
The recipe below...
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Bacalhau à Brás
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 800gr Potatoes (or two packets of Frit Ravitch 150gr Potato Straw)
- 500 grams of Portuguese cod boiled for 5 minutes (about 2 loins)
- 600 gr of onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
- Olive Oil qb
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Preparation:
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into very thin strips, to obtain straw potatoes, and fry them in very hot oil. If you prefer, you can skip this step and use Frit Ravitch 150g bagged potatoes.
- Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the previously boiled cod and flake it with your hands.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the peeled onion cut into half-moons, the peeled and chopped garlic and the bay leaf.
- When the onion and garlic begin to soften, add the shredded cod. Cook over a low heat until the cod is well integrated into the onion.
- Remove the bay leaf from the mixture and add the chips.
- Add the eggs, previously beaten together with the chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients. Do not let the eggs overcook or dry out.
- Before serving, sprinkle with more chopped parsley and, if you like, garnish with an olive or two.
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