Bacalhau Macaense

Macanese Fusion·Easy·30 min

Salt cod flaked into a golden, aromatic stew with coconut milk and saffron, the Portuguese national dish tropicalised into something found only in Macau. A Macanese transformation of bacalhau unlike any Portuguese preparation.

Bacalhau à macaense is the Macanese transformation of bacalhau, the Portuguese salt cod, into a golden, aromatic stew unlike any Portuguese preparation. Soaked salt cod is flaked into a stew of coconut milk, saffron, olive oil, onion, garlic and potatoes. The addition of coconut milk and saffron tropicalises the Portuguese national dish into something found only in Macau, a perfect example of the Macanese fusion principle: a Portuguese base with tropical-Asian layers.

Golden, creamy, coconut-rich and faintly saffron-scented, the salt cod flaky and savoury, the potatoes soft, a bright Macanese take on a Portuguese classic. Eaten with rice, it is creamy, savoury and the fusion face of Macau.

The salt cod is soaked for 24-48 hours to desalt, then flaked. The stew base is built on onion and garlic fried in olive oil, with the coconut milk and saffron giving the golden colour and the tropical character that separates it from any Portuguese bacalhau. The potatoes cook in the stew, thickening it. The coconut milk is the defining Macanese addition; no Portuguese bacalhau uses it.

Variations

A richer version adds cream. Some include hard-boiled eggs.

On the Palate

Where Bacalhau Macaense sits in the Macanese flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

How it's made

6 steps · 30 min

1
8 min
Soak 400g salt cod in water 24-48 hours, changing the water; drain; flake, removing bones.
Watch out
Soak the salt cod 24-48 hours, changing the water, then taste before cooking — desalt too little and the whole stew ends up punishingly salty.
2
8 min
In a pot, fry 2 sliced onions and 5 cloves garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil 6 minutes.
3
6 min
Add the flaked cod, 300g diced potatoes, 400ml coconut milk, a pinch of saffron and 200ml water.
4
12 min
Simmer covered 25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the stew is golden and creamy.
Watch out
Simmer until the potatoes go soft and the stew turns creamy — their starch bodies up the coconut broth; pull them firm and it stays thin.
5
4 min
Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste.
6
3 min
Serve hot with rice.

Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed

These legacy suggestions have not been evidence-reviewed and are not presented as required tools.

Dutch Oven

A heavy enameled or bare cast-iron lidded pot, 4-7 liters, with thick walls and a snug lid. The mass evens out hotspots; the lid traps moisture for braising. Sears on the stovetop, then transfers to a 150°C oven for 3-4 hours of even, contained heat — the structural difference between a beef bourguignon that comes out luminous and one that turns to gray mush. Le Creuset and Staub are the celebrated versions; an old American Wagner is functionally identical.

Techniques

Braising Simmering