Recipe - Brandade De Morue (Potato And Cod Appetizer)

1 pound Dried salt cod; cut in large
pieces
2 cup Milk
2 Heads garlic; halved
crosswise
2 Boquet garni*
1 pound Potatoes Yukon Gold;
peeled and quartered
One half cup Olive oil
One half cup Heavy cream; warm +2 Tbs.
Garlic Confit; for garnish
Toasted Croutons

GARLIC CONFIT
1 Head garlic; peeled and
sectioned
One half cup Olive oil

1. In large bowl, soak cod covered with water for at least 24 hours,
changing water every 2 to 3 hours.

2. To make the bouquet garni, bunch bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme
together and tie with kitchen string. In a medium saucepan, place cod with
a head of garlic, bouquet garni, milk, and 1 cup water. Over low heat,
bring to simmer. Cook until fish is flaky, about 10 minutes. Discard garlic
and bouquet garni.

3. Place potatoes in medium saucepan, and cover with salted water. Cook
potatoes at a simmer until fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain.

4. In small saucepan, place oil with remaining garlic and bouquet garni.
Over low heat, warm the oil, about 10 minutes. Discard garlic and bouquet
garni.

5. Put potatoes through a food mill while still warm. In the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine potatoes and cod
on low speed, until just incorporated. Slowly add the infused oil, then add
1 cup cream. Do not overmix or potatoes will become gluey.

6. Garnish brandade with remaining 2 tablespoons warm cream and garlic
confit. Serve with toasted croutons.

GARLIC CONFIT Makes about One half cup

Place garlic in a small saucepan over low heat, and cook slowly until soft
and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

NOTES: Brandade de morue is a renowned Provencal dish of pounded salt cod,
pur‚ed potatoes, olive oil, garlic, milk, and cream. The dish's name is
derived from the French Provencal verb brandar, meaning to stir, and morue,
French for cod. There are as many versions of brandade de morue as there
are chefssome must have garlic while others might shy from the potatoes.
Balthazar's chef Riad Nasr shares his recipe for this delicious dish.

Salt cod is dried cod fish cured in salt. Frozen before processing, the
fish is left wholecomplete with skin and bones, which contributes to its
intense flavor. Because of the large amount of salt used in the preserving
process, salt cod must be soaked for hours, with many changes of water, to
remove the salt and rehydrate the fish before cooking. The bestquality
dried salt cod should appear ivory, almost yellowcolored, with green
flecks. It should be pliable and not boardstiff. Once rehydrated, salt
cod's appearance will resemble that of fresh fish.

Recipe by: Martha Stewart (Balthazar's chef Riad Nasr)

Posted to recipeludigest by "Valerie Whittle" catspaw@inetnow.net on Feb
24, 1998