Meia-Desfeita de Bacalhau
(MAY-ah des-FAY-tah de bah-cahl-YOW)
The Soul of the Kitchen: O Refogado & A Despensa
Dump a drained can of supermarket chickpeas into a bowl to channel the working-class taverns of 19th-century Lisbon, where Meia-Desfeita was a late-night comfort food—a half-portion of fork-flaked salt cod and chickpeas that is salty, starchy, and heavy with a puddle of olive oil. While purists might spend all day boiling dried chickpeas, a can of garbanzo beans works flawlessly, provided you dress them while they're warm so they drink up that emulsion of olive oil and white wine vinegar. Mash it together, pour the oil, and eat.
Before you start
Plan ahead to desalt the cod properly.
Place the salt cod in a large bowl, cover it with cold water, and keep it in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water three to four times. If you can find frozen, pre-desalted cod at a local market, you can skip this step entirely.
Ingredients
- thick center-cut salt cod1 lb
- canned chickpeas30 oz
- extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic2 cloves
- white wine vinegar3 tbsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/2 cup
- freshly ground black pepper1/2 tsp
- eggs3 large
- sweet smoked paprika1 tsp
Method
- 01
Poach the desalted salt cod until tender.
Transfer the desalted cod to a large pot and cover with fresh water, bringing it to a gentle simmer over medium heat to poach for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
- 02
Remove the skin and bones, then gently flake the fish.
Remove the cod to a cutting board and, once it is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and any bones before using your fingers or a fork to gently flake the fish into large, bite-sized pieces and placing them in a large serving bowl.
- 03
Warm the chickpeas to open them up to the dressing.
While the cod is boiling, place the drained chickpeas in a small saucepan with a splash of water, warming them gently over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes just to take the chill off, then drain and add them to the bowl with the warm cod.
- 04
Sweat the aromatics to create the garden.
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, adding the chopped onion and garlic to sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent but not browned.
- 05
Dress the warm cod and chickpeas.
Scrape the warm onion and garlic mixture over the cod and chickpeas, pour in the remaining olive oil, white wine vinegar, chopped parsley, and black pepper, and toss everything gently but thoroughly to emulsify the oil with the chickpea starch.
- 06
Garnish with eggs and paprika to serve.
Transfer the mixture to a shallow serving platter, arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs over the top, give the entire dish a generous dusting of sweet smoked paprika, and serve immediately while slightly warm.
Notes
The secret to this dish is the assembly temperature.
You must toss the chickpeas and the cod with the olive oil and vinegar while they are still warm so the ingredients absorb the dressing rather than just being coated by it.
Skip the additional salt.
We do not add extra salt to the dressing, as the properly desalted cod retains a perfect residual salinity that seasons the entire dish.