Recently, we had some new friends over for dinner and they had never had Bacalhau (Dry Salted Cod). While we do often hear from people that they don’t like Bacalhau. Can you believe it!? Usually we find out that it was due to a bad experience such as it was too salty or they just didn’t get to try it in a way that they would like it.

Avoid “Salt Shocking” your friends when you serve Bacalhau follow our tips here on our blog. (click here)

There are MANY recipes for Bacalhau so they are bound to like at least one. Here is a book to prove it.  “1000 Receitas de Bacalhau”

For our first introduction of Bacalhau to our non-Portuguese friends whom have also never tried it we chose to serve them Bacalhau com Natas (Natas: Cream Sauce) 

Because who doesn’t like heavy cream (the best part of the milk!!)

(See above for the recipe or here on our blog site)

New Recipe: Bacalhau com Natas (Heavy Cream)
Serves 4-6, using a 13X9 Baking Dish

• 2lbs. desalted cod – (cooked, cleaned, flaked)
• 10 potatoes – cubed and fried (*There are people that like to cube/fry their own, I like using French fries **usually 3-4 large** from a local restaurant, ask them for extra crispy!  I then cut them up*)
• 4 onions – sliced
• 4 garlic cloves – chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• Half bunch of parsley – chopped
• 1 quart heavy whipping cream
• Salt and black pepper – to taste
• Black olives (for garnish)

Begin by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Once golden add your cod and then potatoes.  Start adding in the heavy cream – I don’t typically end up using the full quart container, but in case your potatoes absorb it quickly – it’s nice to have enough so the casserole doesn’t come out dry.  Add in the parsley (leaving some for garnish on top), season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

In a baking dish, add your cod mixture.  Garnish with parsley and black olives.  Place in a pre-heated oven (375 degrees F).  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.  Remove from the oven and serve. 

With so many living costs increasing and investments losing value, author (Robert Kiyosaki) of popular finance book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” recommends investing in purchasing food items that have long shelf lifes like canned tuna (Bacalhau would be another you could include in that category.

You can read the full article here.

We have many options of good quality, long shelf life food products.  Our range of canned tuna, sardines and dry salt cod are all exceptionally priced

Fuel prices are increasing again, let us deliver our wide selection of delicious food to you.  Save time and money, and take advantage of our special fedex rates.    

(Pricing for Quality Bacalhau in Portugal Currently ranges from $16 to $25 kg ) (1 kg = 2.2 lbs)

Many items are back in stock, and we maintain an edge of price and quality on our products .  Especially the Bacalhau (Salted Cod). See the above photo for current market pricing in Portugal.  Here, you can purchase Bacalhau, and get it delivered to you for as low as $7.14/lb.

Click to See Here

Hurry!!!  We still have a great deal on 35 lbs bulk Center Loins (only).  Those are literally the fillet mignon of the fish. 

We are rearranging our inventory to save on storage costs and continue to provide you with the most affordable Bacalhau without compromising quality!

Dry Salted Cod (Bacalhau) is the perfect item in your arsenal to eat well despite rising food costs. The curing process for salted cod developed centuries ago (before modern refrigeration) makes it more stable for long or short term preservation. Our current inventory is good for at least 2 years stored in a refrigerated temperature controlled environment or in kept in a cool well ventilated area.

In this edition we share with you that we also carry some amazing pasta products from Portugal which also compliment Bacalhau perfectly.

Purchase them here – 
https://buyportuguesefood.com/Pasta-c128394362

When you think about pasta you might immediately think of countries like Italy (though they are still the largest consumers of pasta in the World). However, Portugal is among up there as being one of the biggest consumers of pasta in Europe and the world. 

In Portugal they consume, on average, almost 15 lbs of pasta per person per year. It definitely has a place in traditional Portuguese cuisine.

We work with the #1 Pasta maker in Portugal (Milaneza)  – You have never tasted pasta like this! It will change the way you feel mentally and physically after eating it.

Portugal’s under commercialized markets allow food producers to make products with the best quality grains and patient production processes, which for pasta…makes a huge difference. The bigger faster commercial processes involve extruding pasta quickly and also not allowing adequate time for the pasta to dry in order to maximize production. 

Compared to typical pasta brands available in American stores the Portuguese Milaneza brand is:

• Lighter on digestion (Stomach Gut Health is very important for your body’s overall health)
• Absorb and Enhance flavors
• Tastes better even days after cooked. (Leftovers Shelf Life)
• Less Food Waste

Here is a recipe using Milaneza’s Cotovelos (Elbows) and our BomPorto Bacalhau:

BomPorto Mac&Cheese a lá Melissa:

1lb. Package of Milaneza Elbows
1lb. Desalted, Cooked Bacalhau Flakes (preferably cooked in milk)
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
2 1/2 Cups Half&Half
4 Cups grated medium sharp cheddar
2 Cups grated of your favorite cheese
1/2 Tbsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

*Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish.  Set aside.
*Prepare your bacalhau flakes, according to our desalting recommendation (from previous newsletters).  Set aside.
*Mix all grated cheeses together in a bowl, and set aside.
*Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Once boiling, add pasta and cook 1 minute less than package details for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking.
*In a large saucepan over MED heat, melt butter and then sprinkle in flour.  Whisk to combine.  Cook down for approx. 1 minute – constantly whisking.  Slowly pour 2 cups of milk and half&half (combined).  Constantly whisk, and combine the remaining milk and half&half until smooth.
(Once cooked through, it should resemble a semi thinned out condensed soup)
*Remove from heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses.  Stir to melt, and combine.  Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese until completely melted and smooth.
*In a large mixing bowl combine cooked elbows, bacalhau flakes and cheese sauce – stirring to combine fully.  
*Pour half of the mixture into prepared baking dish, top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheeses, top with remaining pasta mixture. 
*Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pasta, bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.

History of Pasta

While it has always been rumored that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Europe it has actually been consumed there since the time of the ancient Greeks.

Happy New Year and we hope that better and better things await us all in the

New Year!

Higher Food Costs in 2021 and 2022

While the cost of many foods such as beef chicken and other seafoods have risen for all of us in the past year and months we are pleased to continue providing you with a Bacalhau offering with pricing relatively unchanged in the past 2 years and some incredible bulk purchase options thanks to the business volume and loyalty of customers like you. 
(https://casadebacalhau.com/store/Salt-Cod-c19222197)

In the U.S. some surveys indicate that as much as 32% of the food we purchase goes to waste.



As we become evermore conscious of our environmental footprint, salt cod exists as a sustainable and efficient food source due to its versatility and shelf life.

Unlike other foods, it is caught wild not farmed, it is typically not transported by air like other seafood and there is a market for virtually every part of the fish including the bones and leftover salt used from the curing.

The resulting product you purchase has over 1000 ways to enjoy including great leftover recipes. (https://casadebacalhau.com/recipes/)

After all, Bacalhau is our Fiel Amigo (Faithful Friend) its Portuguese nickname as through the ages its reputation as a reliable and food source. Whether that was feeding sailors on the long sea voyages or secure way of food preservation when refrigeration methods were not available. (https://casadebacalhau.com/why-bacalhau/)



Thanks to our new site we have more videos available for your enjoyment. Here are some links:

Cutting Whole Salted Cod Fish

Recipe Demonstration Bread Crusted Salted Cod Casserole

Taking apart Center Loins (Flaking):

While Bacalhau by far is the most popular, and common fish served throughout all of Portugal, Portuguese Sardines are the next in line. The best in the world are caught off of the coast of Portugal.

During the month of June, for the festival honoring Saint John the Baptist, it is estimated that 13 sardines are consumed every second in Portugal. Sardines are a national icon.

During our recent trip to Portugal, we were able to visit the Fabrica dos Pinhais in Matosinhos (Porto’s fishing district). They are one of the oldest (just having celebrated 101 years) active canneries in the world. They are specialized in the production of tinned sardines. All production methods are still done by hand. Utilizing only freshly caught, and thoroughly inspected sardines from the morning lot; they then begin a line process of cleaning, organization by size, steam cooking and hand packing (again by size) with fresh ingredients and refined oil for optimal preservation and flavor development. Tins are then sealed, wiped down of any residue and then hand wrapped with the label and cellophane packaging. If you are visiting the city of Porto we highly recommend you visit their newly opened live museum where you tour the factory and wrap your own tin to take home. There are also excellent seafood restaurants in the vicinity. We highly recommend visiting those behind the docks (Herois de Franca street) where fresh catch is grilled over charcoal grills.

Take a moment to view this excellent short video of their process and company.

They are known throughout the world with their brand “Nuri” which signifies “something truly beautiful,” “bright as a light,” “unique.” 

Why discuss olive oil on a page dedicated to Bacalhau? The two are synonymous, and a good case can be made that you can only appreciate good Bacalhau with plenty of equally good azeite. The salty rich flavor of Bacalhau seems to absorb the fruity sweetness of olive oil creating a harmonious balance.

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to join a group of entrepreneurs and wine buyers from the United States whom represent the Esporao company’s wines. Esporao is perhaps one, if not the largest, wine producers in Portugal. Their red wine, Monte Velho, is the best selling wine in its category in Portugal. It’s also one of the most well known in the world. Aside from their great wines, they also produce a superb line of olive oils. During my visit one of the highlights was tasting, and getting a better understanding about the olive oils.

Some of the facts that I learned included :

*European olive oil is strictly regulated
i.e Olive Oil (Extra Virgin and Virgin) when labeled can only be from initial presses and be of the highest quality. Terciary produced oil which lacks the color, flavor, smell and perhaps comes from olives impacted by some mold can only be labeled “oil” and is typically used for commercial cooking applications.

OLIVE OIL OXIDIZES QUICKLY

Olive oil is an extremely fresh and fragile product bottled on demand to preserve it’s properties. Packaged in dark glass to protect from the heat and rays from sunlight. Once exposed to air; olive oil will begin to lose its freshness, flavor, color and fruity scent. Therefore, its highly recommended that you consume your olive oil as quickly as possible, and perhaps open a fresh well kept bottle right before a special meal to optimize it’s potential.

Here are the 5 olive oils produced by Esporao –

Azeite (Beige Label)-
Fruity using – Olives: Arbequina, Cobrançosa, Cordovil, Frantoio, Galega, Maçanilha

Recommended for low medium intensity foods, various soups and oven dishes.
For complete details click here:

DOP – Sweet, Slightly Spicy – Olives: Cobrançosa, Galega,

Recommended for Salads, Appetizers, and/or w/t toast.
For complete details click here:

Cordovil – Sweet, Slightly Bitter and Spicy – Olive: Cordovil
Recommended for Salads, Appetizers, and/or w/t toast.

For complete details click here:

Galega & Biologic (Organic) – Sweet, and slightly spicy – Olive: Galega
 Recommended for seasoning fruit salads, grilled pineapple, cooked vegetables, delicate fish and ice cream.

For complete details click here:

Selecao – Medium-intense fruity and  very balanced bitterness and spicyness Olive(s): Cobrançosa
Recommended for vegetables and boiled vegetables, a gazpacho, seasoning chocolate and even a simple toast

For complete details click here:

Thank you for visiting this page and for all of those we are thankful for there loyal business which has made our Bacalhau mission possible.

In the past two years we developed the “I Love Bacalhau Newsletter” to send occasional news, tips and information about this wonderful item and one of our most popular products.



You can click on links to see information covered in previous letters and all of the information is now available on this new site. With this new site we will be able to add better material such as videos with instructions and demonstrations.



Here we explain all things Bacalhau..

In the previous editions we discussed – (Click on links below to



• What is Bacalhau and how is it cured.
• How it become a popular food.
• Selecting the fish
• Choosing between Boneless Skinless or with Skin/Bone
• Cutting the fish
• Soaking & Desalting the Fish.
• Recipes
• Other Frequently Asked Questions