Bacalhau com Natas

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 400 g dried salt cod, soaked (see method), or 500 g ready-desalted cod loins
• 700 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 120 ml olive oil
• 2 large onions (about 400 g), halved and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 100 ml whole milk
• A good grating of nutmeg
• Black pepper
• Fine sea salt, only if needed

Method

1. Soak the cod Put the dried cod in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge, skin side up, for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water at least three times. Taste a flake from the thickest part: it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh. Skip this step for desalted cod.
2. Poach and flake Put the cod in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring just to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, then remove the skin and bones and break the flesh into large flakes.
3. Fry the potatoes Heat 90 ml of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the potato cubes for 12 to 15 minutes, turning now and then, until golden and tender when pierced. Lift out onto kitchen paper.
4. Soften the onions Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Add the remaining oil to the pan with the onions and bay leaf and cook over a medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and just starting to colour. Add the garlic for the last minute. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Assemble Fold the cod and potatoes gently into the onions, keeping the flakes large. Tip into the baking dish. Mix the cream and milk with the nutmeg and plenty of pepper and pour over. Taste a little of the liquid at the edge before adding any salt: the cod may have seasoned it enough.
6. Bake Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cream is bubbling at the edges and the top is browned in patches. Rest for 5 minutes before serving with a green salad.