PORTUGUESE SHREDDED COD WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS AND “FRITES”
(Portuguese recipe from "Estremadura": Bacalhau à Brás)

Cod fish is a popular food with a low fat content of about 70 Kcal per 100g. It’s a source of vitamins (A, D, E), magnesium and potassium, and it is usually salted and dried for a better conservation. There a several different ways of cooking cod: in the oven, fried, barbecued or simply water cooked. It is said that in Portugal there are more than 100 traditional ways of cooking cod. The recipe I’m sharing today is cheap and delicious. Serve with a green salad and a glass of white wine – Portuguese wine, of course.

© Dulce Rodrigues

Ingredients (serves 4-5)
. 400 g dried salt cod
. 500 g potatoes
. 2 large onions
. 3 cloves of garlic
. 3 tablespoons olive oil
. 6 eggs
. Salt, pepper, chopped parsley
. olive or cooking oil for frying
. black olives for decorating

Wine advice:
A Portuguese white wine from the Alentejo region

Preparation
1 - If dry cod has not yet been unsalted, allow it to soak overnight (around 24 hrs) in plenty of water; change the water at least once to take as much salt as possible.
2 - The next day, drain the fish and bring to a boil; simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Flake the cod into pieces by hand, removing the skin and bones.
3 - Slice the onions very finely and chop the garlic, and fry them gently in olive or cooking oil. When the onions become transparent, add the cod, and stir with a wooden spoon so that the cod soaks up some of the olive oil.
4 - Add the fried potatoes * and stir.
5 - Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, and season them with salt and pepper. Then pour them over the cod and potatoes.
6 - Keep a low fire, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is creamy.
7 - Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and decorate with black olives. Serve with a green salad and a glass of while wine.

* In Portugal, "batatas palha" (fried potatoes) are available at supermarkets and other food stores. Otherwise, peel the potatoes, cut them in straw, and shallow fry them in olive or cooking oil for about 3-4 minutes (oil temperature of 170°C). Drain with absorbent paper.