Brandade de Morue à la Bénédictine
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 min. plus 1-2 days soaking the salt codfish
"Brandade" means to pound and "Morue" means codfish. The dish, made from salt codfish, was created by a smart cook in a Benedictine monastery near Marseille, who was faced with unexpected but important visitors shortly before lunch. As he didn't have enough salt cod, he stretched the dish by adding mashed potatoes. Everyone liked it!
Around the Mediterranean salt cod is readily available during the colder season. Always choose the thickest part of the tail section and make sure there are not too many bones.
Ingredients
- 500 gr (1 lb) potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
- 750 gr (1 1/2 lb) salt cod, soaked 1 -2 days in cold water, changing the water every 6 hours
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teasp. thyme
- 1 bayleaf
- 1 cup of light cream, warmed up, not boiled
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- breadcrumbs and paprika for the top
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) Persillade
Preparation:
You need to soak the salt codfish 24-48 hours before in cold water (depending on the saltiness of the fish, ask your fish monger), changing the water every 6 hours.
Prepare the Persillade first. Add olive oil to the Persillade and mix it well until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
Put the desalted cod in a large pot, add 1 bayleaf, 1/2 teasp. thyme and cover it with abundant water. Bring it to a boil, simmer it gently for about 5min. and remove the pot from the heat. Leave the fish in the poaching liquid until it is cool enough to handle. Fish needs to be flaked while still warm. Check well for bits of bones. Discard poaching liquid.
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Add mashed potatoes to fish in a mixing bowl. Mix them with the Persillade. Ground some pepper over it and stir in the light cream little by little, alternating it with the olive oil. Mix it with a wooden spoon after each step. Add only enough olive oil and cream until the mixture resembles a puree. It should be supple not pourable. Taste for salt.
Rub 4 gratin dishes with olive oil. Spread the cod/potato mixture in it. Smooth the surface and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs, paprika and drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Place it in the oven, 200°C (400°F) until top is lightly colored and bubbly.
Take it out of the oven and let it sit for 5 - 10 min.; this dish is served warm not hot. It is also superb eaten cold.
This is a traditional Christmas Eve dish in the Provence; a veritable slow food dish. Accompanied by fresh bread and a glass of red, white or chilled rosé wine - it's a pleasure!