Cod brandade is a lovely traditional dish from the Nimes region in southern France. Like many traditional recipes, it has humble beginnings. Back in the 16th century, fishermen from the Brittany region in France would come to Nimes, a region known for its salt culture. They would use it to salt their fish (most often they had cod) for storage purposes. So they would trade their cod for the local salt and the Nimois house cooks would end up with salt cod in their pantry. Later, one of these cooks decided to soak the cod in water and then mashed it up into smooth paste with potatoes, olive oil, and garlic to make a dish called “brandade”, a word that comes from the Provencal word “brandar” which means to mix up. Thus, brandade.
Today, it is served throughout France, especially in the central-southern part of the country, and whilst it may sound like a heavy fish pie, it is actually quite nice served hot or cold with a nice green side salad in any season. And if you’ve got leftovers the next day, you can totally use it as a cold spread on crostinis. Apart from its heavenly taste and wholesomeness, I also love this dish because you can make it ahead of time – which is perfect if you are having guests over and/or don’t want to deal with dinner time rush hour.
Everyone has their own version of it – some will use more or less garlic/fish/potatoes/milk/oil and some will add extra ingredients like cream, parsley or other herbs. And if you are wondering what in the world salt cod is and cannot find it anywhere near you – worry not, you can TOTALLY use any thick white fish. In fact, I’ve even done it with salmon and it’s out of this world….but don’t tell the locals.
Anyway, here is my version, I hope you like it as much as we do.
Ingredients
- 450g / 1 lb salt cod (that has been soaked for 24 hours in water) or a regular cod fillet
- 450g / 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 (use a variety like Yukon gold or Idaho, which mashes well)
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 125 ml / 1/2 cup olive oil + a drizzle
- 125 ml / 1/2 cup milk
- 60 g / 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your potatoes until cooked through. Drain.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Slip in the cod and let cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through (the fresh cod will be cooked faster). Drain and let cool. Shred the fish, taking care to take out any bones. Set aside.
- Take out a small saucepan and pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Heat on low and toss in the garlic. Let the garlic cook softly and infuse its aroma into the oil for 10 minutes or until the garlic is cooked but not golden. Turn heat off and set aside.
- Take out a large bowl and using a ricer or potato masher, mash a few potato cubes with a tbsp of the garlicky olive oil. Repeat until there are no more potatoes and olive oil left. Add in the milk and shredded fish. If your mash is too thick for your liking, you mix in a little bit more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix in half the parsley and pour into an oven-proof baking dish or deep pie dish, smoothing out the top with a spatula
- In a small bowl, mix the remainder of the parsley with the breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and a little drizzle of oil. Sprinkle this mixture on the brandade.
- Place the brandade dish in the oven for 30 minutes or until piping hot and golden on top
- Take it out of the oven 10 minutes before serving. This can be reheated or eaten cold the next day.
