Pastéis de bacalhau recipe: Lisbon’s salt cod cakes at home
Equal weights of soaked salt cod and dry potato, beaten with egg until light, shaped between two spoons and fried at 170°C. The Lisbon snack, step by step, with the reason behind each move.
This pastéis de bacalhau recipe turns equal weights of soaked salt cod and floury potato into about 24 Lisbon cod cakes, bound with egg and shaped between two spoons. The key is beating the mix hard before frying, so the cakes puff instead of turning dense.
The first written reference is usually traced to the 1904 Tratado de Cozinha e Copa by Carlos Bento da Maia, which describes “bacalhau em bolos enfolados”, puffed cod cakes. Lisbon and the south say pastéis, the north says bolinhos. According to the Norwegian Seafood Council, the Portuguese eat about 15 kg of bacalhau per person a year.
Lisbon hosts the ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest from 11 to 17 October, and this is the snack the city serves with a glass of white. See also our guide to what to eat in Lisbon.
A good pastel de bacalhau is mostly air, beaten in by hand before it meets the oil.
Ingredients for the pastéis de bacalhau recipe
- 400 g salt cod (dry weight)
- 400 g floury potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 small onion (about 80 g), very finely chopped
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs
- Black pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1.5 litres sunflower or olive oil for frying
Method
- Soak the cod in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water three or four times, until a flake tastes seasoned, not salty. No later step can correct excess salt.
- Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel them hot and pass them through a ricer, then let the purée steam for five minutes. A dry purée stops the cakes splitting in the oil.
- Poach the cod at a bare simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, remove skin and bones, then rub it in a clean cloth into fine threads. Threads bind better than flakes.
- Mix the cod, potato, onion, parsley, pepper and nutmeg, then beat in the eggs one at a time for two to three minutes. The beating traps the air that makes the cakes puff. Taste before salting.
- Heat the oil, at least 5 cm deep, to 170-175°C. Shape the mix between two wet tablespoons into three-sided ovals: wet spoons release cleanly, and the ridges crisp first.
- Fry five or six at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden, and drain on a rack. A crowded pan cools the oil.
What to drink with pastéis de bacalhau
Salt and frying call for acidity: a young Vinho Verde or a dry Arinto from Bucelas, just north of Lisbon. Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Pastéis de bacalhau FAQ
Can I bake or air-fry pastéis de bacalhau? Yes, brushed with oil, at 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes, but they stay paler and denser: the puff comes from hot oil.
Can I make them ahead or freeze them? The mix keeps for a day in the fridge, and fried cakes freeze for two months. Reheat them in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.
Why do my pastéis fall apart in the oil? The potato is too wet or the oil too cool. Dry the purée, add a spoonful of flour if the mix slumps, and check the temperature between batches.
