Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2025 in
Seafood Recipes
This Bacalhau à Narcisa is the kind of meal that makes a homecook dad like me stop and smile. It’s a beautiful Portuguese classic built on simple ingredients that shine when you treat them right. The cod is gently cooked in a generous bath of olive oil until it turns soft and flaky, soaking the pan with deep, savory flavor. Those same juices make the potatoes irresistible—fried first on high heat, then slowly coaxed into tenderness. Sweet onions and garlic melt down into a silky, fragrant topping with bay leaf and paprika giving it that warm, rustic touch.
| Preparation time | 15 min |
| Cooking Time | 40 min |
| Ready In | 55 min |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 3 |
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
| Calories | 662 |
| Fat | 50g |
| Carbs | 80g |
| Protein | 16g |
Ingredients
4 cod fillets (desalted or thawed, as you prefer)3 medium potatoes (about 600–700 g / 1.3–1.5 lb)2 large onions (about 400–450 g / ~1 lb total)2 garlic cloves2 bay leavesSweet paprika, to tasteFlour (optional, if you prefer the cod lightly fried)Extra-virgin olive oilSalt (for the potatoes; adjust cod saltiness as needed)
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Preparation
- The star of this dish is the cod, whether you’re using pre-desalted fillets or thawed frozen ones.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pot or deep pan.
- You can choose to lightly coat the cod in flour and fry it, or—my preferred method—gently cook it over low heat until it’s done.
- Once cooked, remove the cod and keep it covered.
- The olive oil now holds all the cod’s flavor — we’re going to use it again.
- Peel, wash, and slice the potatoes into medium-thick rounds. Season with salt.
- Using the same oil, fry the potatoes:
- Start with the oil very hot, then lower the heat and let them cook slowly. Stir gently so they don’t stick.
- When soft and tender, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- If there’s too much oil, remove a little.
- In the same olive oil, sauté the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and the thinly sliced garlic.
- When tender, add the bay leaves and sweet paprika.
- Stir well and let it cook for a few more minutes.
- Now on a serving dish, add the base of potatoes.
- Next add the cod.
- Then the onions on top of the cod and a drizzle of the flavored olive oil
- Serve warm and enjoy that rich, comforting Portuguese flavor.
Recipe & Photo Credit: amimaneracocinando.com
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