Portuguese-Style Cod with Onions, Peppers & Black Olives

Prato de Bacalhau, Estilo Portugues com cebola, pimentão e azeitonas pretas

My mom is an absolute amazing cook and all of the Portuguese-style dishes I post here are inspired by her incredible talent and expertise!  

This dish is classic Portuguese.  

Keep in mind that authentic Portuguese recipes call for dry, salted Cod in their dishes. You can use fresh Cod fillets for this recipe, but I recommend the traditional dried and salted Cod fish, reminiscent of the Azores and the main land of Portugal. 

If you are truly dedicated to making a genuine Portuguese dish, you can purchase dried, salted Cod and other Portuguese ingredients from our friends at Fernandes Sao Jorge Linguica in Tracy, California.  They are easy to work with, affordable and provide fast shipping!  Links and phone numbers are provided in our "links" page.

12 oz. dried, salted Cod OR fresh Cod fillets
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and thick-sliced
3 eggs, hard-boiled and coarsely chopped
1 can large black olives, coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large green bell pepper, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. hot sauce or melagueta*
Portuguese olive oil*

If you are using dried, salted Portuguese Cod, soak it overnight, changing the water twice.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and reduce heat to medium-high. Add either the soaked Portuguese Cod or the regular fresh Cod fillets. Boil gently for about fifteen minutes. Drain the fish, but save the water it cooked in. Shred the fish into large chunks, removing bones and skin and set aside.

In the water the Cod cooked in, place the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till tender. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, heat about 3 T. Portuguese olive oil or any good quality olive oil. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft. Mix in 1 T. melagueta or hot sauce and season with salt to taste. Stir in the cooked codfish and black olives: 

 
Grease a 2 quart baking dish and layer half of the cooked potatoes along the bottom of the dish.

Portuguese olive oil

Spread with half the cod and onion mixture. Sprinkle with half of the chopped eggs. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Repeat layers, finishing with another generous drizzle of olive oil.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!

Yield: about four or five to-die-for servings