BRANDADE CAKES WITH CARAMELIZED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

Brandade Cakes with Caramelized Peppers and Tomatoes image

Provided by Food Network

Time 3h30m

Yield 20 small salt cod cakes

Number Of Ingredients 18

4 peppers, assorted colors
2 generous handfuls cherry tomatoes
1 head garlic cloves, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound 5 ounces salt cod, desalted and cut into large pieces*
2 large potatoes, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon espelette pepper or hot paprika
Handful chopped fresh parsley leaves
Handful chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peanut or grapeseed oil, for frying
Flour or panko (Japanese) bread crumbs, for dredging

Steps:

For the peppers: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Seed the peppers and cut into thin fingers. Toss with the tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper, and spread on a baking dish. Pour over the olive oil and bake the peppers to confit, about 3 hours, and set aside.
For the cakes: Put the cod, potatoes, and garlic in a pot. Tie the bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley stems with string, and add. Cover, just, with cold water, and bring to a bare simmer. Poach until the potatoes and cod are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
Discard the herbs. Separate the cod from the potatoes. In a mixing bowl, mash the potatoes with the cream. In a separate bowl, shred the cod finely. Then combine the two again, mixing until creamy. Stir through the espelette pepper and the chopped parsley and chives. Check the seasonings.
Pour an inch of cooking oil into a skillet and heat until sizzling. Shape the cod and potato mixture into 20 small cakes. Just before frying, dip them in the flour or panko bread crumbs to coat. Fry on both sides until very brown, and crisp. Drain on the paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
For the plate: Top a brandade cake with a few caramelized peppers and tomatoes. Enjoy!