The endless ways to eat cod fish at Casa do Bacalhau

There used to be a great national industry of cod fishing in Portugal. Large sail boats would leave Portuguese ports and spend several months fishing in the icy waters of the artic seas, or around Nordic countries. It was a tough life, but it created a milestone in Portuguese gastronomy. Cod fish, Bacalhau, is preserved in salt until two days before cooking. Then, it has to be desalted in at least three to four basins of water. The Portuguese say there is a thousand ways to cook bacalhau, and they are probably right. Fried, boiled, grilled, raw, you name it. In ‘Casa do Bacalhau’, you can try some of the most traditional recipes, like Bacalhau à Braz (with scrambled eggs), Bacalhau à minhota (deep fried in olive oil) or Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo (in the oven, with mayo and smashed potatos). But you can also try modern presentations of a fish that the Portuguese have been eating for centuries. Casa do Bacalhau is located in what it used to be a palace of a noble family. The archway of the dinning room is impressive.

Address: Rua do Grilo 54, 1900-706 Lisboa

Phone: +351 218620000

Website: www.acasadobacalhau.com

How to get here: 38.73218, -9.10642