Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo (Salt Cod with Mashed Potato and Mayonnaise)
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 610 kcal
Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo is a Porto recipe from the 20th century: salt cod loins under softened onions, framed with piped mashed potato, topped with mayonnaise and browned in the oven. It’s creamy and filling, and one of the Portuguese favorites for having guests over.
It was created in the middle of the 20th century by José Valentim, known as Zé do Pipo, at his restaurant in Porto. What was new was the mashed potato and mayonnaise over the cod before it went into the oven. It won the first Best Salt Cod Recipe competition, in 1958.
Recipe
Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo
Salt cod loins on onion and garlic, surrounded by mashed potato, topped with mayonnaise and browned in the oven. A creamy, comforting Porto classic.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Turn the oven on to 200 °C (400 °F). Thaw the cod loins, dry them with a kitchen towel and season with pepper. Set aside.
- 2Peel and wash the onions, garlic and potatoes. Cut the onions into half-moons, halve the potatoes and chop the garlic. Put a pot of salted water on the heat, add the potatoes and boil them.
- 3Lift them out of the water, discard any skin and mash them. Add the milk and nutmeg and adjust the seasoning. Stir well and set aside.
- 4Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, dust the cod loins in flour and fry them on both sides. Drain them and put them in an ovenproof dish.
- 5Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft and spread them over the cod. Put the mashed potato in a piping bag and pipe it around the edge, spread the mayonnaise over the top and bake until golden.
- 6Take the bacalhau à Zé do Pipo out of the oven and serve with the roasted peppers and olives. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Tips
Homemade or store-bought mayonnaise both work. What matters is a generous, even layer, so the cod doesn’t dry out in the oven.
Watch the oven at the end so the top browns without burning. If needed, cover the dish with foil at first and uncover it to brown.
Making it ahead and storing
Assemble everything in the dish, cover with cling film and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bake it straight from the fridge in a hot oven, 200 °C (400 °F), for 25 to 30 minutes.
Leftovers keep in the fridge, well covered, for 3 to 4 days. It also freezes for 1 to 2 months; thaw it slowly in the fridge and reheat until piping hot in the middle.
