Fish Pie (Cod with Cream) by Diana Pinguicha

Here’s my Cod with Cream recipe because many, MANY people have asked for it ~ Diana Pinguicha

Ok, so, you need:

– 2 very generous slices of cod

– eggs (ideally, 1 per person, but more if you want to make extra for lunch/whenever — I’ve seen this eaten at 10 a.m.)

– Potatoes (ideally of this type. If you don’t have them, regular fries will do)

– onion & garlic (it IS a Portuguese dish)

– bay laurel (2 or 3 leaves)

– salt & pepper

– parsley

– cream (if it’s heavy, dilute it!)

– milk

– flour

How You Do It!

1. Boil the cod with the eggs until cooked. Turn the over on at around 150ºC or 200ºC.

2. Meanwhile, fry onion, chopped parsley, bay laurel, pepper and garlic in olive oil. Once the cod is done, slice it and put it with the onions/parsley/etc mix. Wait a bit then throw in the chips and the sliced eggs. Salt it to your taste, but I usually just use two pinches.

The Béchamel Sauce!

This tricked me for a while, getting all lumpy and stuff — but no longer! You can buy pre-made béchamel sauce, but I’d rather do my own.

1. Put 3 spoons of flour in a bowl with a bit of cold milk (enough to dissolve).

2. Heat 3 spoons of olive oil; once it’s hot, put in the flour with the milk. Now, add more milk while stirring, stopping when the sauce is creamy and consistent. Around half a litre of milk should be enough for the sauce, but I never measure it. I just add until I feel it’s right.

The Finale!

Now, all you have to do is add the béchamel sauce to the cod/chips/eggs /etc. Add some cream (not too much). Put it in an ovenproof dish and cover it with cream.

Put it in the oven until the top is brown.

Ta-daaa! You’re done! If you want, add some bread crumbs or cheese on top. Bread crumbs can make the top crunchier, but the cheese will change the flavor significantly. Try with and without to see how you prefer it.

Some notes to consider:

– If you buy salted cod, do not forget to de-salt it! Put it in water for a day or two while changing the water 2-3 times a day!

– You can accompany the cod with tomato salad! I season mine with olive oil, fleur du sal, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.

It’s delicious!