Skip to content

Fish

Bacalhau à lagareiro

Bacalhau à lagareiro is a Portuguese dish of soaked salt cod roasted in the oven with potatoes, garlic and olives, serving 4 people. It takes about 1 hour, rates as easy, and costs €5.40 per person. The key to getting it right is generous olive oil and potatoes smashed by hand to soak it all up.

Tonight it's bacalhau à lagareiro, roasted salt cod drenched in garlicky olive oil, with potatoes smashed by hand.

Bacalhau à lagareiro
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€5.40
Calories per person
770 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Bacalhau à lagareiro is salt cod the way the Portuguese love it, roasted until it turns lightly golden on top while staying tender inside. Olive oil pools right in the dish, perfumed by unpeeled garlic cloves and softened onion, coating every bite of fish and potato alike.

This is a Sunday dish, or one for a slower weeknight, not really built for speed since the cod needs soaking the day before. Once that step is out of the way, it works great for guests, the smashed potatoes soaked in oil always winning people over at the table.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Soaked salt cod 800 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Small potatoes 1 kg
  • Garlic 8 cloves
  • Onion 1
  • Parsley 1 sprig

Pantry

  • Black olives 60 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Soak the salt cod for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water three times.

    Taste a small raw piece before cooking, it shouldn't be too salty.

  2. Cook the potatoes with their skins on in salted water, then drain them. 20 min

    They're ready when a knife tip slides in without resistance.

  3. Place the cod in a baking dish with the sliced onion, drizzle with a third of the oil and roast at 200°C. 15 min

    Baste once with the pan juices during cooking.

  4. Smash the potatoes with your fist, arrange them around the fish with the unpeeled garlic cloves and the olives.

    Your fist should crack them open without mashing them.

  5. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven until the cod and potatoes turn golden. 20 min

    Scatter parsley over the top right out of the oven.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick thick, very white pieces of cod, they stay tender during roasting and hold together better.
  • Use firm, similarly sized potatoes so they all finish cooking at the same time.
  • Don't skimp on the olive oil, it ties the whole dish together and should pool generously once plated.

The variations

  • Swap the salt cod for fresh cod if you didn't plan ahead for soaking, the cooking time will be a bit shorter.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with thick slices of parsnip or kabocha squash roasted the same way.
  • For a quicker version, use precooked vacuum sealed potatoes and cut the first oven pass down to 10 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A chilled Portuguese white wine
  • A simple green salad
  • Bread to mop up the oil

Storage

Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. This dish doesn't freeze well since the potatoes lose their texture. Reheat gently in the oven so the cod doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can I use fresh cod instead of salt cod?

Yes, fresh cod works well and saves you the 24 to 48 hours of soaking. Expect a slightly shorter cooking time since it's already moist and more delicate.

Why smash the potatoes with your fist instead of a knife?

Your fist cracks the potatoes open without turning them to mash. They keep some texture and soak up the olive oil poured over them much better.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

You can soak the cod and cook the potatoes the day before. Assemble everything and roast it at the last minute so the fish stays tender.

Is that much olive oil really necessary?

The 15 cl listed isn't excessive, it's actually one of the dish's signatures. The oil cooks alongside the fish and potatoes and partly ends up in the plate for mopping up with bread.

How long does it take to make a bacalhau à lagareiro?

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

How many calories are in a bacalhau à lagareiro?

About 770 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 lagareiro cost?

About €5.40 per serving, or €21.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

Recipes with raw garlic

See all

Fish and seafood dishes

See all