Bacalhau com Natas (Portuguese Salt Cod Cream Gratin)

Name: Bacalhau com Natas (Portuguese Salt Cod Cream Gratin)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: Salt Cod 400 g; Potatoes 450 g; Onion 180 g; Garlic 3 clove; Heavy Cream 250 ml; Milk 150 ml; Olive Oil 2 tbsp; Bay Leaf 1 ea; Black Pepper 0.5 tsp

Quick answer

Active time: 60 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Salt cod poached gently in milk absorbs moisture before it is mixed with half-cooked potatoes and cream and baked until golden.

Fully cooked potatoes would collapse in the oven, so they are only partly fried or pan-cooked beforehand. Saltiness varies by product, which means soaking the cod from the day before and tasting just before it goes into the oven. A few minutes of rest after baking lets the cream settle so the layers hold when served.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

Garlic3 clove

Bay Leaf1 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Submerge 400g salt cod in 2 liters of cold water the night before, changing the water 2-3 times at 8-12 hour intervals until the soaking liquid no longer tastes salty.
2

Slice 450g potatoes into 0.5cm rounds, then par-cook them in 175C oil for 2-3 minutes or pan-fry 2 minutes per side until they are half-cooked but still hold their shape for layering.
3

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat and stir 180g onion for 10 minutes until translucent and lightly golden, then add 3 sliced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more to bloom the aroma.
4

Drain the soaked cod and tear it by hand into large flakes along the grain, add to the pan with 150ml milk and 1 bay leaf, then simmer gently on medium heat for 5 minutes without stirring to let the fish absorb the liquid.
5

Discard the bay leaf, fold the par-cooked potatoes and 250ml heavy cream into the pan mixture until evenly combined, transfer to an oven-safe baking dish, and season evenly with 0.5 teaspoon pepper.
6

Bake in a 200C oven for 20-25 minutes until the surface bubbles and the potato edges along the rim turn a deep golden brown, then rest for 5 minutes before serving so the layers settle.