Bacalhau com Todos (Christmas Eve Boiled Salt Cod with Vegetables)
- Prep
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520 kcal
Bacalhau com todos is the Christmas Eve dish (the Consoada) in much of Portugal. On the night of December 24, boiled salt cod comes to the table with potatoes, Portuguese cabbage, turnip greens, carrots, turnips and boiled eggs, all dressed with olive oil and garlic. Everything cooks in the same pot, and with the cod already soaked it’s ready in about 45 minutes.
The Consoada was traditionally a meatless meal, on the eve of a religious feast. Dried salt cod, which kept for months and reached every corner of the country, became the natural choice. “Com todos” means “with everything”: the cod is served with all the winter vegetables, cooked in the same water.
It changes from region to region. In the north, couve-galega and turnip greens are a must and some add chickpeas. In the Minho, many families serve octopus instead, or both.
Recipe
Bacalhau com Todos
The traditional Christmas Eve dish: soaked salt cod poached with potatoes, cabbage, turnip greens, turnips, carrots and eggs, served with olive oil and garlic. The most classic salt cod recipe of a Portuguese Christmas.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Bring a large pot of water with coarse salt to a boil. When it boils, add the eggs, the potatoes, peeled and halved, and the carrots, cut lengthwise into quarters. Cook for 3 minutes.
- 2Add the turnips cut into wedges, the peeled small onions, and the washed cabbage and turnip greens. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- 3Lower the heat so the water stops boiling, add the soaked cod loins and leave them in the hot water for 8 to 10 minutes, until they flake easily.
- 4Take out the eggs, cool them under cold water and peel them. Drain the vegetables and the cod.
- 5Warm the olive oil with the sliced garlic, without letting the garlic color. Arrange everything on a platter, with the cod in the middle, the eggs cut in half, the olives and the chopped parsley. Serve with the olive oil and the vinegar on the side.
Getting the cod right
The cod goes in at the end, into hot water that is no longer boiling, for 8 to 10 minutes. If it boils, the flakes turn tough and dry. Before cooking, taste a flake from the middle of a steak: if it’s still too salty, change the water and soak it a few hours more.
The dressing goes to the table on the side: extra virgin olive oil warmed with sliced garlic, and vinegar for those who like it.
The next day
Cook a little extra. On December 25, the leftovers become roupa-velha: the cod shredded and fried in a pan with the chopped cabbage and potatoes, plenty of olive oil and garlic.
