BRANDADE

Brandade image

There are certain things that if I see on a menu, I will almost always order them, and brandade is one of those things. This amazing dish from the south of France can be made many different ways, but it's usually some sort of combination of salt cod, potato, garlic, and olive oil. This should always be baked and eaten piping hot, ideally with some homemade crostini.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Appetizers and Snacks Seafood

Time P1DT1h20m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 pound salted cod fish
1 ½ cups whole milk
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
8 large cloves garlic, halved
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ lemon, juiced
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon creme fraiche

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish and set dish on a baking sheet.
Rinse salt cod under cold water, transfer to a sealable container and cover with several inches of cold water. Soak cod in the refrigerator, changing the water every few hours, for 24 to 36 hours. Remove cod from water and cut into evenly-sized pieces.
Stir cod, milk, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper together in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook until fish begins to flake; 7 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain; reserve cooking liquid and transfer fish to a bowl.
Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
Mash cod, a few splashes reserved cooking liquid, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Pour in remaining reserved cooking liquid and potatoes; mash until desired consistency is reached. Stir in 1/2 of the olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper until smooth. Add remaining olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread creme fraiche over the top and score the top with a spoon to create a crisscross surface.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes

Nutrition Facts : Calories 104.9 calories, Carbohydrate 4.7 g, Cholesterol 31.1 mg, Fat 3.5 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 12.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 1337 mg, Sugar 0.7 g