Culto ao Bacalhau

Memories are made from good times. Moments like the one we spent at the Culto ao Bacalhau table in the renovated Mercado do Bulhão market in Oporto. Indeed, there’s nothing better than good company, good conversation and a good laugh, around genuine delicacies made with codfish, to make you feel welcome. 
Dried or salted, the flavours reign at the table. And it’s at the table that chef Rui Martins introduces us to the space and the concept, he who is the mastermind behind the delicacies served at the restaurant. His knowledge, his constructive thinking and his dedication to gastronomy earned him the title of Chef of the Year in 2016. And here, he once again demonstrates his potential in every dish we are served. Flavours and aromas intensify, there is an explosion of memories. We are taken on a journey to the past, to tradition, to authenticity.
Rui Martins, who we would characterise as serious, demanding and with a contagious sense of humour (surprising, we might say), looked to his memories for inspiration when devising the menu. He remembered his grandmother, Zé do Pipo’s cod steaks (where he worked) and created a kitchen dedicated to cod. «When we added the word Culto (cult or worship), our idea was to preserve a Portuguese recipe book, which we didn’t want to change too much. We wanted the customer, on arriving at the table, to see that it’s a good product, that this is a Portuguese table,» says the chef, the creative face, who is responsible for the gastronomic direction of the Prumo group, which owns several restaurants in the city. Culto ao Bacalhau opened in March this year and is already a success. 

In Culto ao Bacalhau we are taken on a journey to the past, to tradition, to authenticity

Now, take a seat at the table with us and we will introduce you to the dishes. We’ll begin with the starters: Bolinho de Bacalhau com Salada de Feijão Frade (Codfish Cakes with Black Eyed Bean Salad), fried and cut in half, lightly perfumed with olive oil and garlic, accompanied by a black eyed bean salad; Laminado de Bacalhau Fumado com Alcaparras (Smoked Cod ‘Laminate’ with Capers), served in circular layers and accompanied by whole capers; and then the Escabeche de Bacalhau com Mexilhões (Marinated Codfish with Mussels), cod flakes, potatoes, onions, peppers, covered in vinegar, with pickled mussels and cream. 
This is followed by the dishes: Feijoada de Sames de Bacalhau à Moda do Porto (Cod Swim Bladder Bean Stew) with Rice in a Wood-fired Oven, a typical Porto tradition, which here sees pork tripe replaced by cod bellies and swim bladders; Bacalhau à Brás (Codfish à Brás), made with onion, garlic, olive oil, potatoes, egg, olives, parsley, pepper and flor de sal gourmet sea salt; and, finally, Bacalhau Gratinado com Gambas, (Cod Gratin with Prawns) in which the cod pieces are wrapped in potatoes and prawns, previously browned in shrimp and garlic oil, to which capers and olives are added, coated in cod béchamel sauce. 

Moving on to desserts, the Monte da Vinha Cheese with ‘Pingo de Mel’ Figs in Rendufas Syrup is a sheep’s cheese, accompanied by ‘Pingo de Mel’ figs and a slice of 100% wheat sourdough bread; the Leite de Creme Custard with Pineapple from the Azores and Madeira Wine is caramelised just before serving and soaked in Madeira wine, a sweet treat with a hint of mint; the Chocolate and Codfish Tartlet is a base of gingerbread, salted caramel and codfish; and the Codfish Millefeuille with Doce de Ovos Egg Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream, delicious crunchy codfish sheets coated with egg cream and vanilla ice cream. 
The cod here comes from Iceland and is cured for 24 months. The olive oil is from Trás-os-Montes, from Casa Santo Amaro. The vinegar was made by Luís Pato. The products leave no room for doubt. From the starters to the main courses to the desserts... we easily succumbed. The Codfish Millefeuille with Doce de Ovos Egg Cream, this one, will probably stay in our memory forever, it is delicious, even more so if it is accompanied by a glass of Port wine. 
The restaurant’s decor is minimalist. The gastronomic suggestion is based on the product, the territory and the culture. The wines, carefully chosen by the chef, accompany the restaurant’s delicacies. At Culto ao Bacalhau, roots and memories are created and traditions are felt. And now? Now, don’t wait for any more information, get down to Mercado do Bolhão and experience this gastronomic adventure.