SALT COD BRANDADE
Brandade has many uses – spread it over the top of a crouton to make a simple canapé, serve with toast, a soft-boiled egg and some chopped parsley, or use to stuff crisp, fried beignets (see next recipe). SERVES 4 400g salted cod fillet, soaked overnight
2 bay leaves
1tsp black peppercorns Milk 4tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
200g floury potatoes, peeled and diced 1 To make the brandade, put the salt cod, bay leaves and peppercorns in a pan. Add enough milk to just cover the fish. Place the pan over a low heat and bring it very slowly to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Leave the cod to poach in the hot milk for 5min, then carefully lift the fish out. Discard the peppercorns and bay leaves, and set the milk aside.
2 Remove the skin from the cod, along with any bones that you can see. Heat the olive oil gently in a pan with the crushed garlic. Fry the garlic gently for 5-10min. Set aside. Add the potatoes to the milk and boil until soft. Taste the milk to see whether any salt is required – the answer is usually no! Drain and mash the potatoes, reserving the milk.
3 Flake the cod into a blender and add 1tbsp of the reserved milk. Blitz to a smooth(ish) purée. Add the potatoes, garlic oil and another tbsp of the milk. Blitz again. Loosen the brandade with a little more of the reserved milk, if needed. The brandade should taste strong but not overly salty, with a good hit of garlic and a lot of olive oil.
COOK’S TIP To make your own salt cod, first pin-bone a cod fillet. Then, leaving the skin on, salt the fish heavily with coarse rock salt. Place in a lidded storage container and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, drain off any liquid and repack the fish with more salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days. Next, wash off the salt and leave the fish to soak in clean cold water overnight. Change the water once or twice.