This homestyle salt cod recipe from Portuguese winemaker Joana Santiago is typical to Monçãao e Melgaço—a subregion of Vinho Verde. The richly sauced, savory fish pairs properly with the native alvarinho wines, akin to Quinta de Santiago “Vinha do Chapim,” a crisp, single-vineyard bottling that’s aged for 9 months in chrome steel.
Featured in: “In Portugal’s Vinho Verde, Wine Is Green in More Ways Than One.”
Bacalao a Monção
Portuguese-style salt cod with port wine, onions, and olives.
Yield: serves 4
Time:
1 hour, half-hour
Substances
- 4 5-oz. salt cod fillets, soaked in a single day in milk and rinsed
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ cups olive oil, divided
- 2 medium yellow onions, thickly sliced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2¼ lb. small pink potatoes, minimize in half
- 1 cup complete milk
- 1 cup Port wine
- 2 giant eggs
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper
- ¼ cups parsley leaves, for garnish
- ¼ cups black olives, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven (with considered one of its racks positioned within the middle) to 350ºF.
- Fill a medium pot midway with water, and produce to a boil over excessive warmth. Fill a big bowl with ice water and set it by the range. Add the salt cod fillets to the boiling water, cook dinner for 1 minute, then utilizing tongs or a spider skimmer, switch the fish to the ice water to sit back. Switch the cod from the water to a plate; take away and discard any remaining pinbones and pat the fish dry with paper towels. Calmly mud on either side with flour and put aside.
- To a big skillet over medium warmth, add a ¼ cup of the olive oil. Line a big plate with paper towels and set it by the range. When the oil is scorching and shimmering, add the potatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook dinner, stirring usually, till calmly brown throughout, about 12 minutes. Switch the potatoes to a heatproof bowl and put aside.
- To the identical skillet, add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. When it’s scorching and shimmering, add the cod and cook dinner, turning as soon as, till evenly golden brown, about 3 minutes per aspect. Switch to the lined plate and put aside. To the identical skillet, add the onions and cook dinner, stirring regularly, till softened and starting to brown, 10–12 minutes. Stir within the garlic, and cook dinner till aromatic, about 2 minutes, then take away from the warmth. Switch about half of the onion-garlic combination to a medium bowl, then unfold what stays within the skillet in an excellent layer. Organize the reserved potatoes evenly over the onion-garlic combination, adopted by the salt cod fillets. Prime with the reserved onion-garlic combination, then put aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, milk, Port, eggs, and mustard; season calmly with salt and black pepper, then pour the sauce over the cod and potatoes. Switch the skillet to the oven and bake till the potatoes are fork tender, about half-hour. Take away from the oven, garnish with black olives and parsley, and serve scorching.
