The origin of codfish – MONDO MODA

Article signed by @chefjocielibobinski

Article signed by @chefjocielibobinski

It was on the coast of Spain, therefore, that cod began to be salted and then dried on rocks, in the open air, so that the fish could be better preserved.
The Portuguese discovered codfish in the 15th century, at the time of the great navigations. They needed products that were not perishable, that would withstand the long journeys, which sometimes took more than three months across the Atlantic.
They made attempts with various fish from the Portuguese coast, but went to find the ideal fish near the North Pole. The Portuguese were the first to go fishing for cod in Newfoundland (Canada), which was discovered in 1497. There are records that in 1508 cod corresponded to 10% of the fish traded in Portugal.
Codfish was immediately incorporated into eating habits and is still one of its main traditions. The Portuguese became the biggest consumers of codfish in the world, affectionately called “faithful friend”. This affectionate term gives a good idea of ​​the role of cod in the diet of the Portuguese.
For centuries, cod was not seen as a first class food. In 1790, its social, spatial and culinary consumption was distributed throughout the city of Lisbon, becoming part of the eating habits of the middle and upper classes.
Thus, fish began to be consumed by aristocrats, doctors, foreigners and the rich who inhabited the areas of Bairro Alto, Príncipe Real and Estrela. The Royal House even had its own suppliers during the 18th and 19th centuries. Already in the colonies, it was always linked to the culture of the metropolis, and a nobler and more expensive fish, for being an imported food product.
In Brazil, the habit of eating cod came with the Portuguese, already at the time of discovery. But it was with the arrival of the Portuguese court, at the beginning of the 19th century, that this eating habit began to spread. The first official export of cod from Norway to Brazil dates from that time, which took place in 1843.

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
Ingredients
4 large potatoes
4 eggs
500 grams of cod (desalted)
2 onions cut into rings
2 bay leaves
olive oil to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 minced garlic cloves
Black olives to taste

preparation mode

Put the potatoes and eggs to cook. They should stay for 30 minutes (but they can’t get too soft) and the eggs for 15 minutes;
Once the potatoes are cooked, peel, cut into slices, season with salt, fry (on both sides) in a frying pan with a little olive oil and set aside;
In a pan with boiling water, add the desalted cod and leave for 5 minutes
Remove it, let it cool, remove the pimples, the skin and shred it;
In a skillet, over medium heat, place the bay leaves and sauté the onion until transparent;
Add salt, pepper, garlic, shredded cod and mix well;
Let it braise a little, remove the blond leaves and turn off the fire;
In a baking dish, water the bottom with a drizzle of olive oil and make alternating layers: one potato, one cod, another layer of potatoes, another cod and finish with a layer of potatoes with chopped boiled eggs and black olives ;
Take to preheated oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes.