The Portuguese name bacalhau appears on Macao menus in several forms. The tourism office describes bacalhau cakes as croquettes made from chopped cod and mashed potato. It also lists a fried dish combining minced cod with egg and vegetables, and a roasted or grilled version served with boiled potatoes and blanched vegetables. The same salted fish can arrive as a small starter or anchor a larger plate.
From the journal
Bacalhau in Macao’s Macanese Kitchen
Salt cod appears in several Macao Portuguese and Macanese dishes, from crisp croquettes to fried preparations and grilled fish.
From Croquette to Main Dish
A Pantry Ingredient, Reworked
Macao’s cuisine includes both Portuguese and Macanese cooking, and bacalhau moves across that table in recipes that vary by restaurant and household. A croquette compresses cod and potato into a crisp bite; a fried preparation brings egg and vegetables together with the fish; a grilled plate lets the cod remain in larger pieces. Contemporary chefs also reinterpret the ingredient, as in the tourism office’s Macao gastronomy profile, where Bacalhau à Brás is presented with potato, egg and Portuguese sausage bread.
