The Catalan TableBrandade of Cod Forki
The cod brandade offers a smooth and creamy texture, combining tender cod with potato and a touch of extra virgin olive oil for a well-rounded flavor.
Ingredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- 400 gsalted cod
- 1 medium potato
- 200 mlextra virgin olive oil
- 100 mlmilk or cream of 18%
- 2 clovegarlic
- salt
- 2 leavesbay leaf
- Individual muffins per oven
- grated Parmesan cheese
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
706 kcal
Protein
22 g
Fat
60 g
Carbohydrates
22 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Preparation
- Gently sauté the garlic cloves over low heat in a pan with a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes, until they are golden.
- Place the cod in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover it completely and cook over very low heat for approximately 10 minutes, until it changes color. Strain and reserve both the cod and the cooking water.
- Cook the peeled and diced potato in the cod water, adding a couple of bay leaves, for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- Remove the skin from the cod and ensure there are no bones left.
- Heat the cream over low heat until hot, but avoid bringing it to a boil.
- Shred the cod in the pot of the hand blender, add the potato and olive oil, and blend well with the blender. Add a little of the sautéed garlic to taste.
- Gradually incorporate the hot cream while continuing to emulsify until obtaining a homogeneous mixture with the texture of mashed potatoes, similar to a mayonnaise.
- Fill individual oven-safe molds with the mixture.
- Evenly sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
- Broil in a preheated oven at 200°C until the cheese is golden, about 5-10 minutes.
Alternative Presentation with Caramelized Apple
- Peel the apples and slice them into thick rounds about 0.5 cm thick. Remove the core with an apple corer or a small knife.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter, and cook the apple slices for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are lightly golden and soft.
- For presentation, place the brandade inside a round metal mold and top it with a caramelized apple slice.
- Sprinkle sugar over the apple and caramelize it using a gas torch, moving it gently until the sugar melts and forms a golden, crisp layer.
Alternative Presentation with Porcini Mushrooms
- Clean the porcini mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any dirt and carefully peel the stems.
- Slice the mushrooms approximately in half, ensuring that the caps remain attached to a piece of the stalk to maintain their shape.
- Reserve the caps raw (uncooked) to use at the end of the dish.
- Finely chop the stalks of the mushrooms.
- In a medium-heat pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the chopped mushroom stalks along with the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender. Reserve.
- Slice the raw mushroom caps and season them with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Chop the parsley just before serving to preserve its aroma to the fullest.
- Present the dish as a mille-feuille, alternating layers of cod brandade with slices of wild mushrooms. On top of each layer of raw mushrooms, place a spoonful of sautéed mushrooms and a pinch of chopped parsley.
Recommendations & Tricks
- When defrosting cod, do so in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before starting the recipe to maintain its texture and flavor.
- To prevent the garlic from burning during sautéing, add it at the end when the oil is already hot and turn off the heat shortly after to release its aroma without overcooking it.
- If you have leftover brandade, you can use it to stuff roasted red peppers; simply cover them with a bit of breadcrumbs and gratinate them in the oven.