Portuguese Creamy Cod (Bacalhau com Natas)


Ingredients
3 soaked codfish fillets3.3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes1 large onion, halved and then sliced thinly1 1/4 cups of reserved cooking water from the cod1 1/4 cups of milk2 heaping tablespoons of all-purpose flour2 packs of heavy cream (each pack is typically 8 ounces or 1 cup)1 lemonOlive oil, as neededSalt, to tasteGround pepper, to taste (I used a 5 pepper blend grinder)Nutmeg, to tasteOil for frying, as neededBreadcrumbs for sprinkling at the end, as needed (or cheese)
Preparation
  1. Cook the codfish (don’t add salt), drain, let it cool a bit, and then flake it (reserving 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water).
  2. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil.
  3. Add the onion and sauté until well cooked.
  4. Add the flaked codfish and mix well.
  5. Next, sprinkle with the flour and stir again.
  6. Gradually add the reserved cooking water and milk, stirring continuously over moderate heat until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency and turn off the heat and set aside.
  7. Heat a frying pan with oil until very hot and fry the potatoes (previously washed and drained).
  8. Drain the excess oil on absorbent paper and add them to the pot with the codfish as they are fried.
  9. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and a few drops of lemon juice.
  10. Mix everything and wait for the next batch of fried potatoes to repeat the process and season and mix again.
  11. After all the potatoes are fried and well mixed into the codfish, add the heavy cream and mix everything very well.
  12. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs or cheese, and bake until golden brown.

Recipe & Photo Credit: Receitas Para Todos

Preparation time 20 min
Cooking Time1 h 15 min
Ready In1 h 35 min
Level of DifficultyEasy
Servings4
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