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Servings: 8 – 10

This Provençal dish known as Brandade De Morue is a whipped salt cod gratin; it is a great example of how to elevate modest ingredients like salt cod and potatoes, by whipping them with milk, olive oil and garlic until luxuriously silky.

This dish is usually served as an hors d’oeuvre with toasted baguette as in the photo above.  In this recipe it is served ‘au gratin’, browned, with cheese on top, making it that much more delicious.

Ingredients
500g skinless salt cod fillet

500g large red-skinned potatoes

175ml – 375ml whole milk

8 large garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped and made into a paste

Small onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

4 peppercorns

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

375ml, ¾ cup, extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 baguettes, cut into rounds and toasted, for serving

Put the salt cod in a bowl and cover with 2 cm of cold water. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 days, changing the water 4 times.

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes cool to warm.

Meanwhile, drain the cod and place in a wide, deep frying pan,such as a sauteuse pan,  add 1 litre of water, just to cover, and bring slowly the just under the simmer, at about 70°C, and cook over this low heat for 5 minutes.

Drain the cod and again return it to the pan, add the milk, garlic, onion, bay leaf and 4 peppercorns and bring to just under the boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cod in tender and flakes easily

Peel the potatoes and break into chunks; transfer to a food processor. Add the cod, milk, garlic cloves, lemon zest, lemon juice and cayenne; remove bayleaf and peppercorns and process until smooth.

With the machine on, slowly pour in the 375ml of oil until incorporated. Season with black pepper.  The brandade can be made to this point and kept for 3 days before baking as a gratin.  When ready to gratin, bring to room temperature and bake as below.

If serving as it is, spoon into the serving dish and drizzle with some olive oil.

For the gratin, preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a 22cm x 32cm baking dish and spread the brandade in the dish.

Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with toasts.

This is a great dish to make ahead and gratin when required. Assemble the brandade up to the gratin stage and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before baking.