Bacalhau espiritual (Spiritual cod)

A Portuguese traditional recipe from the 1940´s, spiritual cod was a local take on a french recipe.

They say there´s at least 356 different ways to prepare cod.. you could probably eat a different one every day and still have new dishes to try out. But we know the fan favorites!

Spiritual cod

Ingredients

(serves 6)
For the cod preparation
1 kg of Codfish
2 bread slices, soaked in milk and shredded
3 onions, chopped
2 garlic clove, chopped
6 medium size carrots, grated
Grated Cheese (São Jorge Azorian cheese, or any other cured cow cheese)
Olive oil
For the bechamel sauce
1l milk
80 g flour
80 g butter
3 eggs
Nutmeg, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Simmer the codfish for about 15 minutes until slightly cooked. Remove the skin of the codfish, flake it and reserve.
• Heat the oven to 200°C.
• Bechamel sauce: Add the butter to a pan, add the flour and stir well. Add the milk. Let it cook over low heat, occationally stirring until the sauce has thickened. Separate the egg yolks and reserve the egg whites. Whisk the yolks lightly and whisk them into the sauce. Season with nutmeg, pepper and salt.
• To another pan, add some olive oil and let the onion and grated carrots sweat on low heat until slightly golden. Add the codfish flakes and the soaked bread. Mix well and add half of the bechamel sauce previously made.Whip the egg whites unti they are stiff, and add them to the other half of the sauce.
• Grease a tray with butter and add the codfish sauce. Layer the rest of the sauce with the whipped egg whites on top. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and place in the oven for 20 minutes to gratinate.

Click on the title below to Download PDF version:
Spiritual Cod recipe – English

Check out our other recipes

Learn step by step how to prepare authentic Portuguese food

Check our available Live and Online cooking classes
where you can learn more about portuguese gastronmy and how to prepare traditional dishes.