Bacalhau com Natas (Cod in Cream Sauce)

This recipe complete with pictures is courtesy of Sami a Portuguese lady living in Australia! She had to drive 30kms to buy the bacalhau to make this recipe. Sami has a great blog called sami’s colourfulworld please “click” across and say hi!

Bacalhau com Natas Ingredients

500gr potatoes 500gr cooked and flaked bacalhau (Please see *note below)
3 onions sliced
a few cloves of garlic
25ml olive oil
100ml grated cheese or bread crumbs
250ml fresh cream
White Sauce
25gr butter,
25ml flour,
250ml milk,
5ml mustard,
salt and pepper,
nutmeg

*Presoak bacalhau
Cut up the bacalhau codfish, rinse it under water to take out the excess salt. Soak the fish in very cold or icy water, skin side up. Change waters three times a day. The next day it can be soaked in milk if desired or again in cold water. The milk makes the fish softer.

What the soaking process does is remove the salt and hydrate the fish, thus making it grow to its original size. Once this process is done, you can either cook it or you can freeze it to be cooked another time. Of course, skin and bones must be removed to make this dish.

Alternatively, you can buy Riberalves. This is bacalhau where the salt has already been removed. It is readily available in the freezer section of most supermarkets in Portugal. If bacalhau (salted cod) is not available you can use whatever white fish is available and just omit the soaking process. I think that even using just normal fish fillets this dish would be good. Boil the codfish and when cool, flake into large pieces.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the mixture, or if you prefer you can use bread crumbs instead. Bake at 200ºC for about 20 minutes until bubbly and brown. Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy it!!

Related post: Bacalhau anyone?

Check out further Portuguese recipes at:https://pigletinportugal.wordpress.com/portuguese-recipes/