Bacalhau da Consoada – Portuguese Christmas Eve Cod

Bacalhau da Consoada, also known as Bacalhau com Todos, is a Portuguese cod dish that’s typically served on Christmas Eve. It’s a simple recipe that consists of cod loins served with boiled potatoes, kale, and eggs, and drizzled with a sauce made with vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Unlike most holiday foods, Bacalhau da Consoada is quite simple to prepare, and it doesn’t require any oven time. It’s deliciously Portuguese and a dish that’s always present at more traditional Christmases.

Exploring the Tradition of Bacalhau da Consoada

The Portuguese word for Christmas Eve consoada derives from the latin term consolata which means ‘to console’ or ‘to comfort’. And that’s what Bacalhau da Consoada is all about, a simple and comforting meal.

The tradition of consuming fish on Christmas Eve can be traced back to the Middle Ages when Christians were required to fast and abstain from red meats during this time of the year. Since the consoada supper was only served after the Midnight Mass, fish was also ideal to have at such a late hour.

With the popularization of salt cod in the early 19th century, it became a staple in Portuguese cuisine. While it’s unknown exactly when the Portuguese tradition of eating bacalhau on Christmas Eve began, it’s believed it originated in the north of the country. The modern consoada super doesn’t necessarily take place after midnight and usually feature other typical dishes such as boiled octopus with potatoes, and Canja de Galinha.

Cooking Bacalhau da Consoada

Authentic Christmas Eve Cod Recipe

The traditional way of preparing Bacalhau da Consoada is to boil all the different components: the cod loins, potatoes, Portuguese kale (couve portuguesa) and eggs. The kale can be blanched in the same water used to cook the cod. There are two ways of serving it, you can lay out all the different components separately or arrange it together on a single serving tray. The sauce is prepared separately and put on a saucer so it can be drizzled on top before eating.

The secret to a good Bacalhau da Consoada is managing the cooking time of each one of the ingredients, so everything finishes cooking roughly at the same time and it’s served hot.

How to Correctly Desalt Bacalhau

Before we dive into the recipe, you should note that salt cod should be desalt prior to use, unless you are using pre-soaked cod. The best way to do it is to place your pieces of cod in a tall container with the skin side up, cover them with cold water, and place it in the fridge. The water should be swapped at least twice a day. For tall pieces of loin, the process can take between 2 to 3 days so it’s important to plan in advance as there isn’t a quick fix for this. With the cod prepping out of the way, the rest of the recipe should be pretty easy!

How to Make Portuguese Christmas Eve Cod

Bacalhau da Consoada – Portuguese Christmas Eve Cod

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

6

servings
Prep time

25

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Calories

649

kcal

Bacalhau da Consoada is a Portuguese dish that’s often served on Christmas Eve. It’s a simple dish that consists of cod served with boiled potatoes, kale, and eggs!

Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg Salt Cod Loins – soaked in advance

  • 800 g Baby Potatoes – skin on

  • 400 g Portuguese Kale

  • 6 Eggs

  • 250 ml Olive Oil

  • 30 ml White Wine Vinegar

  • 5 Whole Garlic Cloves

  • 2 Bay Leaves

  • Fresh Thyme

  • Salt

  • Black Pepper

  • Olives

Directions

  • Place the whole baby potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt, then bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium heat, cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, set aside.
  • In the meantime, place the cod loins in a different pot, cover with boiling water, and place it over medium heat. Add in one garlic clove, the bay leaves, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a scrunch of black pepper. Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. Transfer the cod to a plate, set aside.
  • Use the cod water to blanch the whole Portuguese kale leaves, of which you removed the stalk, for about 3 minutes. Transfer them to an ice bath. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Repeat the process until you run out of kale.
  • Once you are done with the kale, it’s time to tackle the eggs. My preferred method to cook hard boiled eggs is to cover them with cold water, then bring to a boil over high heat. We then turn off the heat, cover with the lid, and set a timer for 11 minutes. After that, we transfer them immediately to an ice bath before peeling and slicing them. This way they will be hard but still with a vibrant yellow colour.
  • To make the sauce, place a small saucepan over low heat, then add the olive oil and the remaining garlic cloves. Cook it for about 5 minutes until the garlic begins to gain some colour. Remove the garlic, then add the white wine vinegar, whisk to combine and slightly emulsify the sauce. Season with some salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Before serving, remove the skin and any visible bones of the cod loins. I prefer leaving some of the bones to preserve the shape of the fish.
  • Serve the fish with the boiled potatoes, eggs, and kale, and a drizzle of the olive oil dressing. You can also garnish with some olives. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You need to soak the salt cod to remove the salt used to preserve it. The process can take up to three days, so plan in advance.
  • You can substitute couve portuguesa with collard greens or kale.

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

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