Enca Mello's Creamed Salt Cod

Preparation Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator 24 hours (or better yet, 48 hours) in several changes of cold water. (Keep the bowl covered so the whole refrigerator doesn't smell of fish.) Drain the cod, rinse, and drain well again. Remove bones and skin, and with your fingers pull the cod into small shreds; set aside. In a large heavy skillet set over very low heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil about 15 minutes until very soft and golden, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, stir-fry the potatoes in the remaining oil in a second large heavy skillet over moderately low heat about 2 minutes until they begin to color; add the water, turn the heat to its lowest point, cover, and cook 15 minutes; set off the heat and reserve, still covered. As soon as the onions are softly golden, mix in the cod and 1/2 cup of the milk, cover, and cook over lowest heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. While the cod cooks, prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat and blend in the flour; add the remaining milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth — about 3 minutes. Blend in the white pepper and reserve. When the cod has only 10 minutes more to cook, preheat the oven to very hot (450°F.). When the cod is done, mix in the potatoes, white sauce, and cream. Transfer to a buttered shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole or au gratin pan. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to moderate (350°F.), and bake uncovered 25 minutes longer or until bubbly and tipped with brown. Serve at once with a tartly dressed salad of crisp greens and, to complete the meal, a light dessert of fresh fruit. Portuguese wines available here that would complement the salt cod nicely would be such authoritative dry reds as Dão Grão Vasco or a well aged Colares. The Portuguese always prefer to sip tinto (red wine) with bacalhau, which they consider too rich and heavy for white wines. Jean Anderson shares her tips with Epicurious:•"This recipe is not hard to make, and it's certainly easy to eat!" says Anderson. "The only requirement is that you find good salt cod." Look for authentic, board-stiff bacalhau at markets that cater to Portuguese clientele, where long fillets are piled in wooden boxes and cut to order. Request a thick middle piece rather than a narrow tail end, which will be saltier and bonier. Or order bacalhau online from www.tienda.com. •"Be sure to leave yourself enough time to soak the fish — at least 24 hours, in several changes of water — to ensure that the resulting dish is not too salty," says Anderson. "There is little danger of oversoaking bacalhau." Once the fish is soaked and pliant, feel through it carefully with your fingers to remove as many bones as you can. Reprinted with permission from The Food of Portugal, © 1986, by Jean Anderson, HarperCollins Publishing, Inc.

Preparation Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator 24 hours (or better yet, 48 hours) in several changes of cold water. (Keep the bowl covered so the whole refrigerator doesn't smell of fish.) Drain the cod, rinse, and drain well again. Remove bones and skin, and with your fingers pull the cod into small shreds; set aside. In a large heavy skillet set over very low heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil about 15 minutes until very soft and golden, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, stir-fry the potatoes in the remaining oil in a second large heavy skillet over moderately low heat about 2 minutes until they begin to color; add the water, turn the heat to its lowest point, cover, and cook 15 minutes; set off the heat and reserve, still covered. As soon as the onions are softly golden, mix in the cod and 1/2 cup of the milk, cover, and cook over lowest heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. While the cod cooks, prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat and blend in the flour; add the remaining milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth — about 3 minutes. Blend in the white pepper and reserve. When the cod has only 10 minutes more to cook, preheat the oven to very hot (450°F.). When the cod is done, mix in the potatoes, white sauce, and cream. Transfer to a buttered shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole or au gratin pan. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to moderate (350°F.), and bake uncovered 25 minutes longer or until bubbly and tipped with brown. Serve at once with a tartly dressed salad of crisp greens and, to complete the meal, a light dessert of fresh fruit. Portuguese wines available here that would complement the salt cod nicely would be such authoritative dry reds as Dão Grão Vasco or a well aged Colares. The Portuguese always prefer to sip tinto (red wine) with bacalhau, which they consider too rich and heavy for white wines. Jean Anderson shares her tips with Epicurious:•"This recipe is not hard to make, and it's certainly easy to eat!" says Anderson. "The only requirement is that you find good salt cod." Look for authentic, board-stiff bacalhau at markets that cater to Portuguese clientele, where long fillets are piled in wooden boxes and cut to order. Request a thick middle piece rather than a narrow tail end, which will be saltier and bonier. Or order bacalhau online from www.tienda.com. •"Be sure to leave yourself enough time to soak the fish — at least 24 hours, in several changes of water — to ensure that the resulting dish is not too salty," says Anderson. "There is little danger of oversoaking bacalhau." Once the fish is soaked and pliant, feel through it carefully with your fingers to remove as many bones as you can. Reprinted with permission from The Food of Portugal, © 1986, by Jean Anderson, HarperCollins Publishing, Inc.