Brandade de Morue

I grew up (I must have been a strange child) thinking that brandade de morue is a ghastly preparation, for my step mother for all her eclectic cooking hated salt cod and would not have it in the house. I have to admit it does not sound so very nice. Only much later have I tried salt cod, and found how good it is when prepared like this; a light creamy fish pâté. Indeed, this is one of the very best ways of serving it. (My other favourite is to take equal parts of mashed desalted salt cod and choux pastry, grating in a little nutmeg, and after refrigerating, deep fry little balls of the mixture in a hot oil until golden brown.) These are delicious with a glass of fino.

Plain grilled de-salted salt cod is rather watery and has a 'wrung out' feeling about it.

Brandade originates from Nîmes, a lovely old Roman town in the North East of the Languedoc; it is very Nîmois to add garlic to the purée, as i have in this version. Other versions, which you will find all over the Languedoc, are garlic less. Extra potato can be added to stretch the cod so as to feed more people. You may serve it cold, warm or hot and it reheats perfectly in the oven.

You will see great sides of salt cod all over the Languedoc and the Iberian peninsular in local markets; buy a big thick chunk there and bring it back as it will keep forever in a cool dry place.

Tips for Success:

Absolutely do not reduce the desalting soaking time; salt cod is very salty indeed.
Poach the fish on the merest bubble to keep its delicate texture.
Pick out all the skin and bones from the cooled fish.
Warm the milk and olive oil until just too hot to keep a finger in; this will help then amalgamate with the fish.
Crush the fish finely before adding the milk and oil.
Add the milk and oil slowly, a spoonful or two at a time.

Ingredients:

175ml olive oil
500 g salt cod fillets
1 garlic clove
2 large cooked potatoes (microwaved or baked in their skins)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
100ml full fat milk

Method:

Soak the cod in a bowl either under a dripping tap or changing the water twice a day for 48 hours. Do not shorten this soaking time as salt cod can be extremely salty (In France one can buy salt cad that has already been de-salted, frozen. Results are every bit as good).

Bring a pan of water to the boil and pop in 1 tsp dried thyme and a bay leaf, slip in the desalted cod and poach on the barest simmer for 15 minutes. Let it cool in the liquid and then drain it. Pick over the fish removing all skin and bones.

Warm the oil and the milk separately until just too hot to touch with your finger.
Chop the garlic. Add the garlic to another pan and add 2tbsp oil, heating slowly crushing the garlic against the sides. When the first bubbles rise around the garlic, add all the cod and mash against the sides with a wooden spoon, breaking it up slowly. Add spoonfuls of milk and olive oil, and keep crushing the mixture and stirring it. Surprisingly the cod will absorb the milk and oil. When 2/3 of the milk and oil has been absorbed, add the potato and stir that in, then add the rest of the olive oil and enough milk to make a light purée that will just hold its shape.
(If you prefer you can process everything in a food processor, add the cod and the hot garlic in the oil, pulse briefly and then add the milk and oil in tablespoons, then the potato, followed by the final addition of the milk and oil. Do not over process as potato can turn very gluey in a food processor)

Taste and adjust seasoning. Can be made in advance and gently reheated prior to serving which is how I do it but it can be served cold too.

Spoon into flat earthen ware dishes to serve and garnish with garlic croutons. Make these very simply by toasting some cut up baguette and then rubbing the toasted pieces with a halved clove of garlic, serve 3 or slices person.

Other good serving local suggestions that I have eaten as far afield as Toulouse and Girona in Spain are: allow the brandade to cool and then spoon it onto roasted red pepper pieces, garnish with croutons and serve with a rocket salad with aged balsamic vinegar or cook plenty of mustard greens, young spinach or fat hen in boiling salted water until tender, drain and anoint with olive oil (cavolo nero or bok choi would be nice too), spoon the warm purée over the greens and drizzle with basil infused olive oil.