Cheesy Cod and Potato Stew

After packing up my belongings in Silicon Valley and shipping them to New York in 2006, I spent a few magical weeks in Portugal. The coastline and abundant seafood reminded me a little of both the place I'd just left, as well as the place that I was born, but it was the food that left the biggest impression. It's where I discovered the joys of crusty bread dripping with butter with a glistening dab of sweet tomato jam, stinky-but-divine Queijo de Azeitão, and the home of the original egg tart in the Belém district of Lisbon. But it was a rustic home-made bacalhau com natas that I still crave 20 years on.

Salt cod and potatoes baked in a creamy sauce may not sound like a life-changing dish, but at the time, it had me contemplating which side of the Atlantic to call home. Over the years it's inspired a few dishes and this latest incarnation turns it into a quick cheesy stew that also borrows from Japanese Cream Stew and my Cheesy Taro Gnocchi.

I marinate the cod with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper before it goes into the pan. That seasons the fish through and helps it brown, leaving flavor behind for the milk to pick up. The boiled potatoes continue to soften in that milk until their edges start to break down. Then the starch-coated Gruyère thickens that flavored milk into a velvety sauce.

As Gruyère melts, its proteins can clump, leaving a grainy, oily sauce. Potato starch absorbs some of the hot milk and swells, thickening the liquid so the cheese proteins and fat are less likely to separate. Tossing it with the grated cheese distributes the starch evenly around the pan as the Gruyère melts. It's a useful approach for mac and cheese or fondue, too.