RECIPE - Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is the most common way for Brazilian families to serve salt cod (bacalhau) at the traditional Good Friday meal. Good Friday is traditionally meatless, and eating Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a way to connect with the communal past, and celebrate the connections between Brazil and Portugal, where this dish originated.

This dish is one of the few traditional recipes for which there is a known time and place of origin, and a known originator. The dish is named for its creator, José Luis Gomes de Sá Junior (1851 - 1926), who was a cook at the Restaurante Lisbonense in Porto, Portugal, where he created his eponymous dish.

The recipe itself is not complicated, and other than requiring the time for desalting and rehydrating the bacalhau, does not require a large investment of time. It's absolutely delicious, and perfect for serving a large gathering.

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RECIPE - Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
Serves 8

2 lbs. (800 gr.) dry-weight salt cod, desalted, rehydrated and skinned (click here for technique)
6 lbs. (3 kgs.) boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch (4 cm.) chunks
2 large onions, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic
6 eggs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata-type black olives
2 medium, ripe tomatoes, sliced
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 Hard-cook the eggs. Cool, peel and reserve. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender, but not falling apart. Drain, cool and reserve. Simmer the bacalhau in a separate pan of water until just tender. Drain and cool. Using fingers, flake the cooled bacalhau into large flakes, taking care to remove all bones. Reserve. (All this can be done in advance).

In a large heavy frying pan, heat the oil, then add the onions and saute them. When they begin to color, add the garlic, taking care that it does not burn. Continue sauteing until the onion and garlic are lightly golden. Remove from heat.

In a large glass or ceramic oven dish (like a lasagne pan), alternate layers of potatoes, bacalhau, eggs and the onion/garlic mixture until all ingredients are used up. Place the black olives and tomato slices on the surface of the dish, then sprinkle with the parsley. Place in a pre-heated, medium oven (350F) for approximately 30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling hot, and the top is lightly browned.

Remove from oven, and drizzle with best quality extra-virgin olive oil. Serve at table directly from the cooking dish. Accompany the dish with white rice and a salad of greens.

Recipe translated and adapted from Wikipédia português.