Codfish with Béchamel
The Codfish with Béchamel recipe is referenced in Lucas Rigaud’s 1780 book Cozinheiro Moderno ou a Nova Arte de Cozinha. In the 18th century, codfish recipe references were still mainly concentrated in palatial cuisine rather than in the food – codfish in this case – of the ‘masses’. Maybe this will explain why this recipe, which has more ingredients just like ‘Provençal Cod’ and ‘Brás-style codfish’, is included in the first cooking books with references to codfish. We had to wait for the 19th and 20th centuries to witness the spread of codfish recipes with varied ingredients as well as ‘simple’ ones – look at the example of ‘Bacalhau com Todos’ or a simple baked cod.
Similarly to the recipe for ‘Provençal Cod’, the recipe for Codfish with Béchamel is clearly influenced by the French cuisine of the 18th century. In fact, béchamel sauce, which would give the codfish that special flavour, originates from France and has spread through other countries like Italy and Portugal. This sauce was named this way in honour of Louis de Béchamel, Marquis of Nointel and head steward to the court of French King Louis XIV. The oldest mention of this sauce dates back to 1651, when the book Le Cuisinier François was published, which was written by François Pierre La Varenne, chef to Nicolas Chalon du Blé, Marquis d'Uxelles.
Begin by cooking the potatoes and egg. Then, shred the codfish and remove the skin and bones. Sauté the sliced onion in a frying pan until it becomes translucent; then add chopped garlic, one or two bay leaves, and the shredded codfish and mix it all well with olive oil. Then, add chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper. After this, grease a baking tray with olive oil, place a layer of sliced potatoes on top, place the codfish mixture on top, and place the remaining potatoes and boiled eggs, which have also been sliced, on top. Finally, pour the béchamel sauce over it and put it in the oven.
Rigaud. L. (1780). Cozinheiro Moderno ou a Nova Arte de Cozinha. Lisboa : na Offic. Patriarc. de Francisco Luiz Ameno.
Sobral, J. M.; Rodrigues, P. (2013) O “fiel amigo”: o bacalhau e a identidade portuguesa. Etnográfica 17 (3), p.619-649.
VVAA (2016). As melhores receitas de Bacalhau – Ideias para + de 100 refeições. Impala
Guedes, F. (2001). As 100 maneiras de cozinhar Bacalhau e outros peixes. Publicações Dom Quixote
VVAA (2003) O Grande Livro das Receitas de Bacalhau. Impala
Universidade Federal do Paraná - História da Alimentação
Contextos da Alimentação – Revista de Comportamento, Cultura e Sociedade