Portuguese cod with cream recipe

Cod in cream (or bacalhau com natas as they say in Portugal) is one of the best Portuguese recipes I prepare at home. It is not complicated to make, although it is a bit laborious due to the number of steps to follow, but it is well worth the foresight to desalt the fish and the time it takes in the kitchen because it is delicious.

It is a baked cod with cream that you can prepare for a special occasion such as Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day or a family birthday, because it is very rich and creamy in flavor.

Despite requiring some time and dedication in the preparation, this easy cod with cream recipe is worth it: just cook the cod, crumble it, prepare a saucepan, and add the milk cream and straw potatoes mix it all together and take away baked until gratin. The result is an absolutely exquisite cod with cream gratin!

Ingredients to make Portuguese Cod with Cream:

3 pieces of salted cod
1 chopped onion
1 chopped leek

1 grated carrot
2 tablespoons chopped pepperoni or chorizo (optional)
3 potatoes

1 bottle of cream or milk cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup grated cheese
1 pinch of ground black pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg

1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of oregano
2 bay leaves

How to make Portuguese Cod with Cream:

To prepare our baked cod with cream, if we use fresh salted cod, we must put it in a large bowl with water 48 hours before to desalt it. We will put the part of the skin up, and we will leave the covered bowl in the refrigerator to ensure that it releases the salt correctly. Every 8 or 12 hours, depending on the thickness of the pieces, we will change the water.
But if we already have it salted, we will start the recipe for cod in cream by putting the pieces in a saucepan with water to cover and put a bay leaf. When the water reaches a boil, boil them for 10 minutes, then take them out and crumble the cod, removing the skin and bones. Reserve 1 cup of cooking broth.
Tip: Touching hot fish is not easy, but if it gets cold the skin won’t turn out well.

In another pot, place the oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf and pepperoni or chorizo. Cook over medium-low heat until the onion is well browned.
Tip: The sausage is really an optional ingredient for the Portuguese cod with cream recipe but I used it because it was leftovers from another dish. If you prefer you can add other ingredients to the sauce such as peppers, tomatoes or olives for example.
Next we peel the potatoes and make very thin strips, that is, straw potatoes, with the help of a mandolin for example. And we leave them in a wringer to release all the water.

Trick: If we do not have a mandolin, we will cut very thin slices and make them into strips. It is more laborious but it is possible.
In a frying pan we put a good amount of oil and when it is hot; we add the potatoes and fry them until they are crispy. As they are very thin, it will take little time. We are taking them out and we let them drain on a fountain or tray in which we will have put kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. We repeat the process until we finish all the potatoes.
Tip: Straw potatoes are the ones used in the traditional Portuguese cod with cream recipe.

Then add the carrot and leek and sauté everything for another 5 minutes. Then add the shredded cod and mix well.
To achieve an easy and creamy cod with cream, mix the heavy cream with the reserved brother and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the pot and stir until it thickens. Then add the straw potatoes and mix again. Season the fresh cod in cream to taste with black pepper, nutmeg and salt.
Place the cod mixture with milk cream on a tray or platter and cover it with grated cheese. Sprinkle a little oregano on top and put the cod with cream in the preheated oven at 200 °C for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Tip: If you really like cheese, use a mixture of cheeses with different intensities of flavor. I have used mozzarella cheese, which is softer, and cheddar cheese, which has a stronger flavor.
Once the baked cod gratin with cream is ready, take it out carefully so as not to burn yourself and place it on a trivet.
Serve the Portuguese-style cod with cream like this directly at the table or distribute it in portions for each dish.