Bacalhau à Lagareiro

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pieces dried salt cod loin (approx. 600g)

• 500g small red potatoes – skin on

• 1 large onion (approx. 200g) – thickly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves – whole

• 80ml extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt

• Freshly ground pepper

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METHOD

To start this recipe, you should have your salt cod ready to be used – that is soaked in water in advance as we instructed above.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. 

2. Place a small frying pan over low heat. Slice the onion and use the back of a knife to lightly crush the garlic cloves. Add them to the frying pan. Add in the olive oil. Cook everything on low heat for about 5 minutes and set aside.

3. Thoroughly clean your potatoes, place them in a baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook them in the oven for around 20 minutes or until they are soft enough to be crushed.

4. Once the potatoes are cooked, use a fork to lightly crush them until they break through the skin and set them aside.

5. To a new, bigger baking dish, add half of your olive oil we lightly fried earlier, and place the pieces of fish at the centre. Place the potatoes around the fish and coat everything with the remaining olive oil mixture.

6. To a new, bigger baking dish, add half of your olive oil we lightly fried earlier, and place the pieces of fish at the centre. Place the potatoes around the fish and coat everything with the remaining olive oil mixture.

7. Season it with some more black pepper, add the bay leaf and thyme.

8. Bake everything for about 10 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the fish with the olive oil sitting at the bottom, and flip the potatoes. Place it back in the oven, cook for another 20 minutes. If your oven is equipped with a grill, turn it on for the last 10 minutes, for a crispier finish. Carefully remove it from the oven. Serve it with a drizzle of the olive oil sauce.