Bacalhau Fried Rice Recipe

Desalting the cod (advance step)

Place the salted cod in a bowl and cover with cold water or milk. Refrigerate and soak for 24 hours, changing the liquid 2–3 times (every 6–8 hours) to remove excess salt. If short on time, soak for 6–8 hours with 2–3 changes — final dish will be saltier.

Poach and flake

After desalting, drain the cod and place in a small saucepan. Cover with fresh water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Poach for 6–8 minutes until opaque and flakes easily. Drain, let cool slightly, then remove any remaining skin and bones and flake into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and the white/light-green parts of the scallions and cook, stirring, until fragrant and softened but not browned, about 1–2 minutes. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook until translucent, 2–3 minutes. Add the flaked cod to the skillet, toss gently to combine and warm through for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and hold.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccolini pieces for 1 minute until bright green and just tender, then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry. If using fresh corn, you can blanch with broccolini for 30–60 seconds; for frozen or canned corn, just drain and set aside.

If using red bell pepper, sauté it quickly in the pan with a teaspoon of the neutral oil until softened, about 2 minutes, and set aside with the other vegetables.

Heat a large wok or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbs neutral oil and swirl to coat.

Add the beaten eggs, scramble quickly breaking into small curds, and as soon as they are just set remove them to a plate. This should take about 30–45 seconds.

Add the remaining 1 tbs neutral oil to the wok. Add the cooked rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spatula or the spatula’s edge. Spread the rice out and let it sit, undisturbed, for 30–45 seconds so it can develop a little toasted texture.

Toss the rice and add the warmed cod and aromatics mixture from earlier. Stir-fry quickly to combine, about 1 minute.

Add the blanched broccolini, corn, and sautéed red pepper (if using). Toss to distribute evenly.

Season the rice with 2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce (optional), 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste), and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until everything is heated through and flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more soy or a squeeze of lime if desired.

Return the scrambled eggs to the pan and fold into the rice, breaking them into small pieces as you mix.

Turn off the heat and drizzle 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil over the rice. Add the thinly sliced scallion green tops and chopped parsley, toss briefly to combine.

Transfer the Bacalhau Fried Rice to a serving platter or individual bowls. Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges to squeeze over each portion. Garnish with additional cracked black pepper if desired.