One of my favorite recipes of my mother-in-law Antonia is this comforting dish of salt cod with eggs and potatoes. She whips this up in no time, and serves it dotted with homemade tomate frito. This is the perfect quick, cozy dinner!
If you love Spanish cod recipes, you won't want to miss trying these recipes for cod with cauliflower and salt cod croquettes.
Ingredients
Eager to get started making this salt cod with potatoes? Grab these key ingredients (along with a few others), and you'll be ready to start cooking!
- Salt Cod: Salt cod is a popular way to enjoy cod in Spain. You'll need to desalinate it and rehydrate it by soaking it in cold water before using.
- Potatoes: You'll grate the potatoes into shoestrings and fry them in oil until crispy. It's one of the best parts of this dish!
- Eggs: These act as the binding agent to help hold all the ingredients together--plus they make this dish creamy and hearty.
- Olive Oil: You'll need good quality olive oil for sautéing the onion and bell pepper and extra oil (whether it's olive oil or vegetable oil) for frying the potatoes.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Salt Cod with Potatoes
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Make sure the cod is desalted and rehydrated. You'll need to soak it in cold water for 12-48 hours and change the water occasionally. Hand shred the cod and remove any bones. (image 1)
- Sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil until they're soft and the onions are translucent. (image 2)
- Add the shredded cod to the pan and cook for a couple minutes until the cod is cooked through. (image 3)
- Add the eggs and cook until the eggs are halfway set, stirring frequently. (image 4)
- Pour more oil into another skillet and add the potatoes. Fry them in batches until crispy and golden. (image 5)
- Reserve the potatoes in a bowl and set aside. (image 6)
- Put the cod mixture on the heat and gradually add the fried potatoes; the eggs will finish cooking through. (image 7)
- Serve immediately so the potatoes stay crispy. Enjoy with some tomate frito! (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
The salt cod is dried out and salted to preserve it. You can't eat the fish until some of the salt has been removed and the fish has been rehydrated. To do this, you need to soak it in cold water.
I recommend soaking the salt cod for 12-48 hours before using; make sure to change the water occasionally. If you're not sure if it's soaked enough, taste a small piece and see if it's super salty; if so, change the water and let it soak for a few more hours.
Serve
This salt cod with potatoes is similar to Portuguese bacalhau à brás--which means it will be a hearty, cozy dish! It would taste great with a dollop of tomate frito (my mother-in-law's preferred side!), an ensalada mixta, a slice of fresh bread, or this winter salad with orange and pomegranate.
Expert Tips
- If you can't find salt cod, you can substitute with an equal part of shrimp or a lesser quantity of ham or chorizo. I wouldn't use fresh cod here, as I think the fish would become overcooked and mushy, and fresh cod deserves better!
- You'll need to buy some salt cod and desalt it beforehand. Here in Spain, you can buy it already desalted, or you can leave it in cold water over 12-48 hours, changing the water every so often. Just taste a little nibble if you're not sure if it's ready to use. If it's still super salty, change the water again.
Other Spanish Cod Recipes
If you liked this recipe, please share it with others!
Follow Spanish Sabores on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for more recipes and travel tips.
If you've made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a 5-star review!
Salt Cod with Eggs and Potatoes (Bacalao con Huevos y Patatas)
Ingredients
- 14 ounces salt cod desalted and shredded with bones removed
- oil for sautéing and frying ideally olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil
- 2 large onions sliced into rings
- 1 large green pepper sliced
- 3 large eggs
- 4 fist-sized potatoes grated into shoestrings
Instructions
- Warm about 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat and add the onions and peppers. Cook slowly for about 15 minutes or until caramelized.
- Add the shredded cod and sauté for a few minutes, until the cod is mostly cooked.
- Crack three eggs over the pan. Sauté the eggs with the rest of the mixture for a couple of minutes, or until about halfway cooked. Take the pan off the heat while you fry the potatoes.
- Heat another pan with oil and fry the shoestring potatoes in small batches until crispy. Reserve them in a bowl until all are fried.
- Put the cod mixture back on the heat and start adding in the potatoes, handful by handful. Stir gently to mix everything together so the eggs will finish cooking through.
- Serve immediately so that the potatoes are still crispy. You can optionally serve with dollops of tomate frito on the side.
Notes
- If you can't find salt cod, you can substitute with an equal part of shrimp or a lesser quantity of ham or chorizo. I wouldn't use fresh cod here, as I think the fish would become overcooked and mushy, and fresh cod deserves better!
- You'll need to buy some salt cod and desalt it beforehand. Here in Spain, you can buy it already desalted, or you can leave it in cold water over 12-48 hours, changing the water every so often. Just taste a little nibble if you're not sure if it's ready to use. If it's still super salty, change the water again.
- I prefer to grate the potatoes in advance, though my mother-in-law does this directly over the hot frying oil in the moment.
- Crack the eggs ahead of time into a small bowl before pouring them into the pan if you're worried about shells getting in.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Leave a Reply