As our dear daughter Olympe is currently visiting us in Miami for the Holidays, I asked her which of my dishes she is craving the most so I can treat her with a little flavor of home. Even though I was expecting her answer to be my traditional Boeuf Bourguignon or my Blanquette, I realized she already masters these dishes, and she surprised me with asking for a brandade de morue. This is indeed a meal I had not prepared in a long time.
The cod brandade is a dish from Nîmes and is traditionally served on a standalone basis (cod emulsified with olive oil and garlic), with toasted bread. In order to make it more like a full meal, I made it Parmentier style, with mashed potatoes on top.
A couple of important things to note for this dish: as the cod is traditionally preserved in salt, remember to remove the heavy salt content in the cod by letting it rest in fresh water and changing the water a few times for at least 24 hours prior to cooking. Second, do not boil or overcook the cod: rather bring it to a low simmer. Otherwise it will become very hard.
Ingredients (serves four):
1lb salted cod
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 large potatoes
1 stick unsalted butter
Milk and cream
24 hours before cooking, rince the cod under fresh water, put it in a large bowl and cover with water. Put it in the fridge and replace the water 2-3 times until the following day in order to remove the salt content.
Put the cod in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer (never boil) and cook on low for about 7 minutes. Drain the water, put the cod on a plate and crumble it into small pieces, like a pulled pork. Be careful to remove any remaining bones. In the empty saucepan, pour about 1/2 cup of olive oil and heat on low to bring it to body temperature. Turn the heat off and add the cod and the garlic. Mix well with a wooden spoon, mashing the cod into the olive oil and turning like you would when emulsifying a mayonnaise. Add more oil if needed. Season to taste. Put in the bottom of a baking dish.
Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes: peel the potatoes, cut them into 1 inch cubes and cover with water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until a knife easily goes through the potatoes. Drain. Add about one stick of unsalted butter. Mash briefly with a potato masher until the butter is melted. Then add cream and milk, mashing in between, until you reach desired consistency (I personally like my mashed potatoes a little runny). Do not over-mash, otherwise the potatoes will turn rubbery. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour the potatoes on top of the cod. Broil in the oven until the top starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
