Bacalhau com Natas – Portuguese Codfish with Cream

Portuguese Codfish with Cream or Bacalhau com Natas is an absolute classic, it combines codfish, potatoes, onions, olives, and a delicious creamy sauce! It’s the gateway dish to many of those visiting the country, utterly delicious, and fairly easy to prepare at home!

Jump to Recipe

Portuguese Cod with Cream Recipe

If you cooked with salt cod before, you already know the most important part of the recipe is prepping the fish. And by that, I mean soaking the fish to remove the excessive salt it absorbed in the curing process. The soaking part can vary from a couple of hours to even days depending on the cut you use. For Bacalhau com Natas I prefer using cod loins that I usually soak in the fridge for 72 hours changing the water every 8 hours.

Once your fish is prepped, the next step is to poach the pieces of loin for about 5 minutes in boiling water or milk infused with a bay leaf. This step will remove any left-over salt and pre-cook the fish. If you opt for milk, you can later use it to make the ‘bechamel’ sauce. Once cooked, allow the fish to cool off before you remove the bones and skin and tear it into large chunks.

Now it’s time to prep the remaining ingredients. Start by peeling and dicing your potatoes. Lightly fry the potatoes cube using the method of your preference. Some prefer deep frying it, I favour using the air fryer. You can also shallow fry it with some olive oil. The goal is to get a light golden crispy outside.

Potatoes Bacalhau Com Natas

While the potatoes cook, thinly slice your onions, then place a deep skillet (preferably one that is suitable for the oven) over low to medium heat. Once the skillet is hot enough, add the olive oil and your whole garlic cloves. Fry for about 2 minutes, then add in the sliced onions and bay leaf. Sauté for another 2 to three minutes or until the onion is softer and translucent. Remove the whole garlic cloves.  

Add in the codfish, cook for another 3 minutes, stirring gently. Turn off the heat, set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Once the potatoes are done, transfer them to a plate with absorbent paper, put aside. 

To prepare the bechamel, place a small pan over low to medium heat, add in the butter. Once it’s completely melted and bubbly, add the flour, cook until the flour is lightly golden. Pour in the milk little by little, stirring with a whisk constantly until it thickens. Remove from the heat, add in the cream, season with nutmeg, black pepper and salt.

Bacalhau com Natas Recipe

Add the potatoes to the fish skillet, stir to combine, then pour the creamy sauce on top. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top, decorate with the olives. Bake in the oven until golden.

Oven Ready Bacalhau com Natas

How to Make an Authentic Bacalhau com Natas

Bacalhau com Natas - Codfish with Cream

Recipe by Ana Veiga
5.0 from 1 vote
Course: MainCuisine: Mediterranean, Portuguese
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Calories

700

kcal

Portuguese Codfish with Cream or Bacalhau com Natas is a classic, it combines codfish, potatoes, onions, olives, and a delicious creamy sauce!

Ingredients

  • 600 g 21 1/6 oz Salt Cod Loins

  • 500 g 17 2/3 oz Potatoes

  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 2 2 Garlic Cloves

  • 2 2 Bay Leaves

  • 2 2 Medium Onions

  • 50 g 1 3/4 oz Butter

  • 50 g 1 3/4 oz All-purpose Flour

  • 500 ml 2 cup Full Fat Milk

  • 200 ml 6/7 cup Natas Frescas (fresh cream)

  • 100 g 3 1/2 oz Grated Mozzarella Cheese

  • 50 g 1 3/4 oz Olives

  • Salt

  • Black Pepper

  • Fresh Parsely

Directions

  • Place a medium size pot over medium to high heat, add the fish loins in and a bay leaf, cover with boiling water or milk, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the cooked fish from the liquid, set aside. If you use milk, set aside 500 ml of it for the bechamel.
  • Peel and dice the potatoes, air fry or deep fry them until they are soft, and a golden crust has formed on the outside. Allow the fry potatoes to rest on top of absorbent paper.
  • Once the codfish has cooled off a little, remove the skin and bones, then break the fish into smaller chunks, set aside.  
  • Pre heat the oven to 200°C.
  • In the meantime, thinly slice the onions, then place a deep skillet over low to medium heat. Once hot, add in the olive oil with the peeled whole garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the sliced onions and the remaining bay leaf, sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Discard the garlic cloves.
  • Add in the codfish, cook for another 3 minutes, stirring gently. Turn off the heat, set aside.
  • For the bechamel, place a small pan over low to medium heat, add in the butter and flour. Cook until the flour is light golden, and the mixture is bubbly. Pour the milk in little by little, stirring well with a whisk between additions to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce thickens, remove from the heat, stir in the fresh cream, season with a little nutmeg, black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
  • Transfer the potatoes to the codfish skillet, add in some fresh chopped parsley, mix well, cover with the bechamel sauce. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
  • Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, decorate with the olives, bake until golden brown. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!

Notes

  • You'll need to soak your bacalhau before using it, but you can buy pre-soaked and pre-washed bacalhau at all good Portuguese supermarkets!
  • If you're bacalhau is not pre soaked, typically you may need to soak it for around 48 -72 hours with regular water changes.
Codfish with Cream Recipe

Have you tried this recipe? Please let me know in the comments!

More Portuguese Recipes you Will Love:

Leave a Comment