Brandade de Morue Holiday Dip

Perhaps salted cod isn't on the top of your grocery list. But if you were living 400 years ago, it probably would be – that is assuming you could read and write the list to begin with! 

Salting cod during the 17th century was a popular way of preserving. Salt was cheap, it allowed fisherman to make longer voyages preserving their catch along the way, and it was flavorful. 

It has many different names that you will no doubt recognize. In France it is known as 'morue', in Spain 'bacalao', and in Italy 'baccalà'. And each country has their own recipes that have been passed down through the ages transforming the hard white salt covered fillets into something unexpectedly delicious and moist.

Brandade de Morue is an old French recipe (and there are countless variations) consisting of salted cod, garlic, olive oil, milk, and potatoes mashed together. Today in France it is often served during the holidays as a dip alongside bread fried in oil or crudités. 

I say: why wait for the holidays? 

Brandade de Morue Recipe:

8oz of salted cod

4 cups milk

4 medium yukon gold potatoes

1 cup olive oil

7 whole cloves of garlic peeled

Bouquet garni: 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig rosemary

1. Soak salted cod in cold water, changing water frequently, according to box instructions. Sometimes this is overnight or just a few hours.  Cod will be malleable and have a pleasantly salty taste when it is ready to use. If it is still pungent, hard, or overly salty continue to soak in cold water

2. Cook potatoes as you would for mashed potatoes: place spuds in a large pot with cold water and bring up to a gentle simmer. When they are easily pierced with a knife, peel skin off and place in a Food Processor or blender.

3. Heat milk to a simmer with bouquet garni. Add cod, cut into 3"- 4" pieces (make sure there is no skin or bones) and cook for 10 minutes. Do not boil or it will make the cod tough. 

4. In a small saucepot bring olive oil with garlic to a low simmer on low heat and confit cloves. They are done when easily pierced with a knife. 

5. In a food prosessor add cod, potatoes, garlic, and 1/2 cup olive oil and pulse. Blend in a cup of the milk from the cooking liquid (minus bouquet garni). The mixture should resemble a thick paste. Continue to add olive oil and milk little by little until mixture has a nice dip consistency. 

6. Spoon into ramekins and reheat in oven before serving. To brown the top put under the broiler. Serve with crostini and crunchy garden fresh vegtables. Can be made a week ahead.

Comments

[Jeremy]

I love brandade,I learned to make it with a chef who used only milk and olive oil, no potatoes which made for a wonderful emulsion.We sauteed some fingerling potatoes a'la Sardalaise added some olive tapenade with crouton and a bit of salad, fabulous! The only troubling thing now is it's unfortunate that we have almost run this fish into extinction! The cod should be protected, so we won't lose a traditional dish or species like this one, regardless whether we like to eat it.(imhop)

Thanks Amy, great reading and great work.

Jeremy

[Ms. Glaze]

Jeremy – From my research, potatoes were a later addition to brandade. Originally it was a little more like aioli with cod mashed into it (like what you're talking about). Either way I think it's delicious, but I prefer to confit the garlic first so it's not so overpowering and I like the creaminess of the potatoes.

Pacific cod is not on the endangered list, but yes, most Atlantic species have either been close to fished out or they are on stricter protection watch with tighter yearly quotas.

The Northeast Atlantic cod still has high populations, but the Northwest Atlantic cod is decimated. And even though it is protected now, the population is not making a big comeback.

Fisherman today are harvesting 1% of the amount of cod that they caught in 1977. Trawlers and machinery that scraped the ocean's floor ruining eco systems while catching fish are now illegal, thankfully.

I think of salted cod today as more of a specialty item. And when I buy it fresh in restaurants I like to know where it's from and how it's caught.

[Ms. Glaze]

Here's a link to Critobal, the company that exports salted fish. I thought their synopsis/hisotry on the modern process of salting was interesting:

http://www.cfeboston.com/about-saltfish.asp

[john]

I love brandade. I want some right now! John

[Jeremy]

Thanks Amy for the information, every so often I order cod for work but feel so guilty! Must be my grandmother being Basque, that makes me like it so much! I have a great provencale book with a brandade like we used to do at Rapael restaurant,and I had it in France with the potatoes too, huge portion I was totally not expecting a bowl of the stuff!

[Ms. Glaze]

I've seen brandade served as a main course and for me it's just too much. Didn't know you are Basque!!! I love basque food. Especially pinxtos (sp?)...

[Jeremy]

I am a mix, Russian,Italian, French and Basque!
I love food!

[Jerry]

Nice!

My wife (who doesn't cook) is agitating for some kind of nibble to serve folks as they arrive on Thanksgiving. I'm not real crazy about that approach, since I want people famished for the main event.

But I think this little number will do the trick, and keep us both happy.

Win/win.

Thanks.

[Sean]

Oh how I love me some brandade. I've been meaning to make it for years. My (Italian) family makes baccala, but it's strips of it wrapped around a filling and baked in tomatoes. Good, but not as good as this.