Peixe cozido com todos

Corvina cozida com todos. Lisboa, 2022. Photo by Filipe Gill

When we think of fish in Portugal, the first thing that comes to mind is grilled fish. But there is more…

Peixe cozido means ‘boiled fish’. Sounds boring and uninteresting, right? Far from it, my dear Gastronautas!

It is that kind of food that we dread as a kid. How can anybody enjoy fish boiled in water? Well, these days I not only love peixe cozido, but believe it is another of those pearls of Portuguese gastronomy worth writing about. Moreover, fighting for it’s survival.

The name: Peixe Cozido com Todos, means Boiled Fish with All. And that means vegetables and a boiled egg. To me also suggests a poetic way of inviting all of us that enjoy this beautifully simple dish. There is a ‘togetherness’ about the word ‘todos’.

You need good ingredients because there is nothing to hide behind. Simply boiled fish and vegetables. The purity and honesty of it disarmingly.

In my experience, the best way to eat this dish is in a restaurant. They have decades of experience in the sourcing of ingredients and vegetables. However… If you want to do it yourself, please accept some suggestions:

Get fresh fish from the market (we will soon have a list of markets for you to explore). Ask for a couple of postas, thick slices around 3cm of the freshest white fish you can see. One per person should be enough. Suggestions: Pescada (Hake), Corvina (Croaker), Garoupa (Grouper), Pargo (Snapper). My favorites are Corvina and Garoupa.

While in the market, get the vegetables: Feijão Verde (Green Beans), Cenouras (Carrots), Batatas Novas (New Potatoes), Cebola Branca (Sweet Onions)

On the side: Freshly ground black pepper; white wine vinegar, the best olive oil you can get hold of.

Preparation:

Get 2 medium to large pans of water and some sea salt; one for the fish, one for the vegetables. Some people will suggest you use the same pan. Also good.

Get the carrots, potatoes and onions in one of the pans and get it to boil. 5 minutes later add the green beans and the eggs; cook for another 7 minutes. Check if the beans and potatoes are cooked thoroughly. If you want save the stock for future use.

In the other pan get the water to boil. Add the fresh fish. Cook for around 7 minutes. Drain and keep in the warm pan until serving time.

Serving:

In a large white warm plate, put a posta of your fish. Add a couple of potatoes, some carrots, green beans, half a onion and, should you wish, an egg.

Season with olive oil, a little vinegar, and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy with white or rose wine in the Summer and red wine in the Winter.

Wine suggestion: Quinta de Carvalhiços Reserva Encruzado Branco

Suggested song: Amanhã vou estar melhor, Capitão Fauso