Introduction
Brandade de morue is salt cod beaten with warm olive oil, milk and garlic, then mixed with mashed potato into a soft, creamy purée. It is eaten warm on toast, or baked in a dish until golden on top. It needs a little planning: the salt cod soaks in cold water for a day or more before cooking.
Brandade is a speciality of Nîmes, in the south of France, and spread through the Occitan-speaking south. The name comes from the Provençal brandar, “to stir”. The original is cod, oil and garlic only. The version with potato, sometimes called “parmentière”, is the one most families make today. Spain and Italy have close cousins, such as baccalà mantecato in Venice. Poach the cod gently: at a full boil it turns tough.
Ingredients
- 500 g salt cod
- 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150 ml olive oil, plus a little for the top
- 150 ml milk
- black pepper
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (for the baked version)
- toasted bread, to serve
Tools
- A large pot or bowl for soaking, then for poaching
- A saucepan for the potatoes, and a small one for the oil and milk
- A potato masher and a wooden spoon
- A baking dish, about 20 × 25 cm (for the baked version)
Preparation
- A day or two ahead, soak the cod in plenty of cold water in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times. Taste a corner: it should be pleasantly salty, no more.
- Boil the potatoes in unsalted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Drain and mash them.
- Put the cod and bay leaf in a pot of fresh cold water, bring it to a bare simmer and poach for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish flakes. Drain it, then remove the skin and bones and flake the flesh.
- Warm the oil with the garlic in one small pan, and the milk in another.
- Put the cod in the potato pan over a very low heat. Beat it with the wooden spoon, adding the oil and milk a little at a time, in turn, until it turns into a creamy paste.
- Beat in the mashed potatoes and season with pepper. Taste before adding any salt. Serve warm with parsley and toast.
- For the baked version, heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Spread the brandade in the dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and a little oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.