Pasteis de bacalhau is a typical dish of Portuguese cuisine.
A classic of poor cuisine, it combines the maritime history of Portugal with cod and that of potatoes that arrived in Portuguese ports from the discoveries of the Americas.
These are cod and potato meatballs that are mixed with eggs, onion, garlic, parsley and then flavored with nutmeg.
They are served as an appetizer or as a snack in taverns, restaurants, bars or on the street in kiosks.
Pasteis de bacalhau are found not only in Portugal, but also in countries where the Portuguese language is used such as Brazil and Angola.
Cod is part of the history of Portugal even before 1353, the year in which King Don Alfonso IV of Portugal made an agreement with King Edward III of England to be able to fish in English waters.
The first to fish for cod were the Vikings who, not having salt, simply left it to dry in the open air. Portugal, which had salt, used it as a bargaining chip with the Nordic countries, thus importing cod in exchange for salt.
Since the fourteenth century the Portuguese have dedicated themselves to cod fishing but it was only from the nineteenth century that this activity became really important.
Today, Portugal is the most important producer of dried and salted cod in the world.
In the Portuguese culinary tradition, there are many recipes for cooking cod, but the original one is:
Ingredients for 4 people – about 20 pasteis de bacalhau
- 500gr of desalted cod
- 500gr of potatoes (the red ones are the best)
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt, pepper and oil for frying
Procedure
- Boil the potatoes in their skins, leaving them firm
- Boil the cod in unsalted water, boiling it for 5 minutes
- Drain the cod, remove the skin, the bones and fray it well
- Drain the potatoes, peel them and make a coarse puree with the help of a fork
- Add the mashed potato, cod, onion, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper
- Mix well until you get a compact dough.
- With the help of two tablespoons soaked in hot oil, make quenelles and fry them in boiling oil, until they are golden, turning them halfway through cooking.
