🌟Before Christmas Day, the Catholic Church advises fasting.
But on the night of the Midnight Mass (celebrated at midnight, the time designated by the phrase “in galli cantu”, it was the first of the three masses constituting the Christmas Day liturgy), the Portuguese table is set for a family dinner.
It is the “Noite da Consoada” (Night of the Dinner, which is Christmas Eve).
🌟The term “consoada” indicates a light meal taken at the end of a day of fasting and derives from the Latin “consolare”, meaning “to comfort”.
🌟It is tradition to eat cod or another type of fish for dinner, reserving meat for subsequent meals.
▶Hence the Bacalhau da Consoada cooked with cabbage and served with boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, seasoned with garlic-flavored oil.
🌟In the north of Portugal (Minho, Porto, and Guimarães), it is customary to reserve, at the Consoada table, a place for recently deceased family members, or to leave the table set when attending mass and keep the light on all night, to comfort and console their souls.
It is said that Portugal has 365 recipes based on cod, one for each day of the year, here are more…
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Portuguese
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 25 oz desalted cod
- 1/2 savoy or green cabbage
- 2 eggs
- 2.2 lbs potatoes
- 3/8 cups olive oil
- 1 garlic
Steps
Boil the cod (desalted and rinsed) in pieces along with the savoy or green cabbage for 20 minutes.
Boil the eggs (1 per person) and the potatoes with the skin on.
For the sauce:
Mix the olive oil (3/16 cup per person) with the crushed garlic and vinegar. Bring to a boil.
Serve each element separately on a plate and season with the sauce.
Looking for Christmas gift ideas?
Read my Christmas gift guide.…
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the difference between savoy cabbage and green cabbage?
The savoy cabbage has a deep green color with lighter shades towards the core. Its leaves are wrinkled and rich in filaments.
In the green cabbage, the leaves are smooth and light.
Unlike savoy cabbage, green cabbage can also be eaten raw
