José Luís Gomes de Sá Junior – born in Oporto on February 7th, 1851 and deceased in 1926 – was a cod merchant who gave rise to one of the most famous codfish recipes in our country.
Gomes de Sá Junior was the son of a merchant who dealt in cod based in a warehouse at Rua de Muro dos Bacalhoeiros, in Oporto’s riverside area. Legend has it that he sold his recipe to a chef called João at the Lisbonense restaurant located in Travessa dos Congregados.
What is the difference? The codfish is shredded in tiny pieces and softened in warm milk for an hour and a half to three hours, and later on gains a velvety texture in olive oil, garlic, and onion. This is the secret to the original Gomes de Sá recipe.
Soak the codfish, place it in a pot, and heat it with boiling water. Cover the container and involve it in a blanket for 20 minutes.
Then drain the codfish, remove the fish bones, and shred it in tiny pieces. Put the pieces in a deep container, cover them with hot milk, and leave it to brew for one hour and a half to three hours.
In the meantime, slice the onions and clove of garlic and let them lightly sear without cooking all the way through. Season with salt and pepper. Place them immediately on a clay tray and put them in a hot oven for ten minutes. Serve it in the clay tray with chopped parsley sprinkled over it and decorate with boiled egg slices and black olives.
Guedes, F. (2001). As 100 maneiras de cozinhar Bacalhau e outros peixes. Lisboa: Publicações Dom Quixote, p. 22-23
Modesto, M. de L. (1990). Cozinha Tradicional Portuguesa. Lisboa: Editorial Verbo, p. 14
Rosto, C. C. (2018). A História e a Receita Original de “Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá”! Blog. Accessed on March 14th, 2020.
Silva, N. (n.d.). A História do Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá | Clube de Vinhos Portugueses. Accessed on March 14th, 2020.