Brandade Food

BRANDADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish and set dish on a baking sheet.
• Rinse salt cod under cold water, transfer to a sealable container and cover with several inches of cold water. Soak cod in the refrigerator, changing the water every few hours, for 24 to 36 hours. Remove cod from water and cut into evenly-sized pieces.
• Stir cod, milk, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper together in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook until fish begins to flake; 7 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain; reserve cooking liquid and transfer fish to a bowl.
• Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Mash cod, a few splashes reserved cooking liquid, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Pour in remaining reserved cooking liquid and potatoes; mash until desired consistency is reached. Stir in 1/2 of the olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper until smooth. Add remaining olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread creme fraiche over the top and score the top with a spoon to create a crisscross surface.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes

BRANDADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic on a square of foil, rub with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat it, and wrap securely in foil. Roast until cloves are soft, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool, remove cloves from their skins, then mash cloves with a fork.
• While garlic roasts, prepare potatoes and cod: Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Place cod in a saucepan, add onion, and barely cover with milk. Place over medium-low heat and simmer until cod flakes easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove cod with a slotted spoon, transferring it to a plate to cool; leave milk at a very low simmer.
• Drain potatoes; remove onion from milk and discard. Return potatoes to pot and mash them. Immediately and quickly break eggs into hot potatoes and stir vigorously until fully incorporated. Beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons simmering milk until mixture is very thick and smooth. Add one tablespoon olive oil, or as desired, for flavor and texture. Add garlic (it may not all be needed) and salt and pepper to taste.
• Shred cooled cod as finely as possible, and add to potato mixture. Adjust milk, oil, garlic and salt and pepper as desired. Add parsley and mix well. Mound in a shallow serving bowl or on a platter. Serve at room temperature with matzo, if desired.

BRANDADE

Steps:

• Soak cod, skin removed, in water, covered and refrigerated, for 3 days (change water twice daily). Drain, and cut into small pieces. Simmer milk, cream, garlic, and potatoes until potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt cod, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Reserving 1 cup liquid, transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, stirring until mixture is almost smooth, and adding liquid if needed. Season with salt to taste, and drizzle with oil, if desired. Serve with warm bread.

BRANDADE WITH ESCABECHE

Steps:

• For the escabeche: Slice the onions in thin half-moons and set aside. Brown the garlic in the oil in a skillet over high heat. Then add the cumin seeds to scent the oil. Add the onions and rosemary and saute at a high heat. When the onions are sauteed, but before they turn soft, add the red vinegar and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the brandade: Add the salt cod to a pot, cover generously with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain the water, and then add the potatoes, milk and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft. Drain the liquid and discard.
• Add the salt cod-potato mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Slowly add the heavy cream and olive oil. Whisk until the ingredients are evenly disbursed, about 3 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler. Put the brandade into an oven-safe dish and broil until golden brown peaks appear on the top, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the escabeche on top. Drizzle with the olive oil and chopped parsley and serve with toast points.

WHITE BEAN BRANDADE

Steps:

• For the beans: Quarter the carrot, onion, and celery. In a 4-quart saucepan, sweat the vegetables and garlic with the bacon for 3 minutes. Add the beans and cover with twice the volume of chicken stock or cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until soft. Remove from heat and cool in liquid. Remove vegetables and bacon, and drain well. Makes about 1 quart of beans. For the brandade: Place the cooked beans, anchovies, Parmesan, garlic, and rosemary in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add olive oil in a steady stream while blending. Season with salt and freshly cracked white pepper.

BRANDADE

Steps:

• Put the cod in a large bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for 24 hours, changing the water often.
• Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Drain. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, drain the soaked cod and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and add 1/4 cup of the milk, the onion, bay leaf and parsley sprigs. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Drain well. Carefully remove the bones and skin if necessary.
• In another saucepan, blend the remaining 1 cup milk and the cream. Warm it over low heat. In another saucepan, warm the oil.
• Combine the potatoes and garlic in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at low speed. Add the flaked cod and beat at a high speed.
• Alternately add the milk mixture and warm oil until all are used. Beat in the nutmeg, cayenne, salt only if necessary and pepper. Stir in the truffles and serve with croutons.

BRANDADE DE MORUE

Steps:

• Place the salt cod in one layer in a skillet or saucepan with water to cover; bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and pick out any stray bones or pieces of skin.
• Place the cod in a food processor with the garlic and a couple tablespoons of the olive oil. Start processing and, through the feed tube, add small amounts of olive oil alternating with small amounts of cream. Continue until the mixture becomes smooth, creamy, and light. (You may not need all of the oil and cream.) Add pepper, some of the lemon juice, and the nutmeg. Blend and taste; the mixture may need a bit of salt and more lemon juice. (You can prepare the dish several hours or even a day ahead to this point; cover and refrigerate until you're ready to eat.)
• Reheat the brandade if necessary, in a double boiler or in a 300°F oven, covered. Serve with bread, toast, or crackers.

BRANDADE DE MORUE

Steps:

• Cover cod with cold water and refrigerate 24 hours, changing water at least 8 times in that period to remove the salt from the fish.
• For croutons: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400F.
• Arrange bread slices in singled layer on baking sheet.
• Brush tops with oil and bake until just beginning to colour, about 5 minutes.
• Rub tops of bread with halved garlic.
• Drain cod; cover with cold water in a large saucepan and bring just to simmer.
• Let simmer until cod is tender and just begins to flake, 8-10 minutes.
• Drain cod; break into small pieces.
• Transfer to processor.
• Add crushed garlic cloves.
• Combine hot milk and cream.
• With machine running, pour olive oil and milk alternately through feed tube, several tablespoonfuls at a time, and blend until smooth.
• Season with lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Mound brandade in center of platter.
• Surround with croutons, olives and parsley.
• Serve at room temperature.
• (can be prepared up to 3 days ahead).

BRANDADA

Steps:

• Rinse salt cod under cold water. Place in medium bowl. Cover salt cod with cold water and refrigerate 12 hours, changing water occasionally.
• Drain salt cod. Place in medium saucepan. Cover salt cod with fresh cold water and add bay leaf. Bring just to boil. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Drain salt cod. Remove any skin and bones. Transfer cod to processor and flake finely.
• Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain. Force through ricer into large bowl, or transfer to large bowl and mash with fork. Mix in cod.
• Pour oil into heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Discard garlic. Using large fork, gradually work oil into cod potato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• Line platter with lettuce. Mound brandada in center of platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Surround with tomatoes, olives and bread.