Food: Bacalhau a Braz

Ana Maria (Amandio's colleague) came back from a weekend in Macau laden with Portuguese delicacies, namely Bacalhau (dried/salted codfish), Queijo de Azeitao, Chorizo, Alheiras and Vinho Verde. I decided to make a traditional Portuguese lunch on May 1st, inviting Ana Maria, Nina, Omar (Spanish) and his wife Deepakshi (Indian). Pedro had arrived from Portugal bringing with him Presunto (dried ham).

Starter: Presunto and Melon, Olives which Elma and Rinus had brought from France and the Azeitao cheese.

Main Course: Bacalhau a Braz.
This is one of the most popular ways to cook Bacalhau (out of 1001 recipes!!)
Ingredients:
dried salt cod
olive oil
matchstick-size potato strips
thinly sliced onion (1 per person)
1 bay leaf
eggs (1 per person, plus 2)
sea salt
ground black pepper or piri piri
chopped fresh parsley
black olives
Method:
1. Rinse the fish and place it in a bowl. Add enough cold water to cover. Chill overnight, changing the water several times.
2. The next day, drain the fish and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the fish flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Flake the fish, discarding any bones.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy, large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches and sauté until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain. Alternatively you can use potato crisps (Batata Palha)
4. Add the olive oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low. Mix in the fish and potatoes. Whisk the eggs, salt and the pepper in a large bowl to blend. Add the egg mixture and 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the fish mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the eggs are softly set, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a platter. Garnish with the olives and parsley. Serve with a green salad.

Dessert: Strawberries, grapes and chocolate ice-cream truffles.

It turned out pretty well considering I hadn't made this in a while. Accompanied with chilled Vinho Verde, pleasant company and stimulating conversations (we spoke a lot about food - lol) the lunch must have been a success, as we spent four hours at the table!