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Fish, European

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (Portuguese salt cod and potato bake)

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a Portuguese baked dish of desalted salt cod, potatoes and softened onions, finished with olive oil and topped with hard boiled eggs and black olives. It serves 4, takes 1 hour and is easy to make, for about €3.30 per person. The trick is soaking the onions in warm milk first, which mellows their bite and keeps the cod tender.

Tonight, a specialty from Porto, bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, salt cod baked with potatoes and onions in olive oil, topped with hard boiled eggs and olives.

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (Portuguese salt cod and potato bake)
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.30
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring

This dish smells like Portugal the moment it comes out of the oven, with flaked cod melting into soft potatoes and olive oil coating every bite. The onions, softened in milk, lose their sharpness and bring a mild sweetness that balances the saltiness of the cod. Hard boiled eggs and black olives on top add contrast, both in color and texture.

It's a dish for a Sunday or any evening when you have a bit of time, built around the pleasure of layering a real bake rather than rushing a quick meal. Mon Chou suggests it for family dinners or get togethers with friends, when you want something that feels special without being hard to pull off.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Desalted salt cod 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Onions 3
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Eggs 4
  • Milk 25 cl

Pantry

  • Black olives 80 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 8 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Boil the potatoes with their skin on, peel them and cut into rounds. 20 min

    Keep them slightly firm, they'll finish cooking in the oven.

  2. Poach the salt cod for five minutes in hot milk, drain, flake it and remove any bones. 5 min

    Don't throw out the milk right away, it can loosen the mixture later.

  3. Boil the eggs for ten minutes, cool them in cold water and cut into quarters. 10 min

    Ten minutes gives a firm yolk without a greenish ring.

  4. Sauté the sliced onions and garlic in olive oil, then layer the dish with the potatoes, cod and onions, and drizzle with oil. 12 min

    Don't skimp on the olive oil, it's what binds the whole dish together.

  5. Bake at 200°C for fifteen minutes, then top with the eggs, olives and parsley. 15 min

    Serve straight from the baking dish, it keeps the heat in.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a waxy potato variety, it holds its shape in rounds and won't fall apart during the second bake in the oven.
  • Drain the poached cod thoroughly, too much liquid will stop the dish from browning properly in the oven.
  • Layer the potatoes and cod loosely rather than packing them down, the olive oil needs room to seep through and bind everything.

The variations

  • Swap the salt cod for fresh cod poached a few minutes, the flavor is milder but loses the dish's signature saltiness.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the cod with shredded hearts of palm or roasted mushrooms, the layered bake works the same way.
  • For a quicker version, skip the hard boiled eggs and serve the bake straight away with just the olives and parsley.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon
  • A dry Portuguese white wine
  • Crusty bread to soak up the oil

Storage

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It doesn't freeze especially well because the potatoes change texture. Reheat it in the oven rather than the microwave, so the top crisps up again.

Questions about this dish

Can you make bacalhau à Gomes de Sá ahead of time?

Yes, cook the potatoes, poach the cod and boil the eggs the day before. Assemble the dish and bake it just before serving so it stays moist.

Do you need to desalt the cod yourself?

This recipe uses already desalted salt cod, so no extra soaking is needed. If you start with whole salted cod, plan on 24 to 48 hours of soaking with several water changes.

Why soak the onions in milk?

Warm milk mellows the sharp bite of raw onions and makes them easier to digest. It's also what keeps the cod tender once the dish is assembled.

Can you use green olives instead of black ones?

Yes, the flavor will be a bit saltier and sharper, but the texture stays the same. Black olives stay closer to the traditional Portuguese version.

How long does it take to make a bacalhau à Gomes de Sá?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bacalhau à Gomes de Sá?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bacalhau à Gomes de Sá cost?

About €3.30 per serving, or €13.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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