Bacalhau à Lagareiro, Olive Oil Smash

Place the salt cod in a large bowl of cold water. Refrigerate and soak for 24 hours, changing the water 3 times — morning, afternoon, and evening. This is not optional; it is devotion.

After soaking, drain the cod and rinse it well. Check for any remaining scales or bones and remove them. Pat the fillet dry with a clean kitchen towel.

In a wide-bottomed pot, combine the potatoes (whole and unpeeled), half an onion, and 4 cloves of garlic. Add water to cover by about 5 cm and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat.

Submerge the soaked cod fillet in the boiling water alongside the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 15 to 18 minutes, until the cod flakes easily and the potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a skewer.

Carefully lift the cod and potatoes out of the water. Set the cod aside on a plate. Peel the potatoes and halve them lengthwise. Keep the cooking water — you may need a ladleful for the baking dish.

Preheat your broiler to high. Place the cod in a baking dish and spoon 2 to 3 ladles of the reserved cooking water around it. Slide it under the broiler and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin begins to brown and blister slightly at the edges.

While the cod broils, pour the olive oil into a small saucepan. Add 6 cloves of garlic (sliced thin) and place over medium-low heat. Let the garlic slowly infuse the oil for 5 to 6 minutes, swirling often, until the cloves turn golden and fragrant. Do not let them darken or burn. Remove from heat.

Squeeze the entire lemon directly into the hot garlic oil. It will sizzle and perfume the oil. Set the pan over medium-high heat and let the oil warm through — remove when you see wisps of steam but before it smokes.

Remove the dish from under the broiler. Using the flat of a wooden spoon or a sturdy fork, gently press and crack the potatoes into rough, porous chunks around the cod. Pour the screaming-hot garlic lemon oil over everything in one bold, generous pour. It should hiss and smoke on contact.

Scatter the flat-leaf parsley over the top and crack black pepper generously across the dish. Serve immediately while the oil is still glistening and the fish is steaming beneath.