Happy Friday team! Here I am slipping into your inbox rather late, I don’t think anyone will notice. Personally, Saturday morning is one of my favourite times to lie in bed and catch up on some reading and it is exactly what I will be doing tomorrow morning.
We were away for 10 days, Spain then France, it rained wherever we went…it never stopped. Of course, I love seeing my family but all 3 were also very happy to land back in warm Lisbon albeit late Sunday night.
What I did discover during my time away is that my father can actually cook, he’s developed quite the passion for it. And I say this with great surprise, until the age of 60, I’m not sure he could have made an omelette by himself. He met my mother in London, she used to cook for his business lunches, a role she maintained throughout their life together. I will always remember, my mother being in hospital giving birth to Bona (no4) and leaving us (8, 5 and 4 years old) in the hands of my very incompetent father. He tried to make powdered purée, adding water instead of milk and realising it was too liquid, so he tried to thicken it with lumps of baguette…we survived to tell the story.
So every time we visit him in Spain, I am still surprised to see him enjoy being in the kitchen. This time, I even left with a new recipe from him; cod brandade. Woody and I made it again this week at home. Perhaps Toto’s brandade recipe will be passed down to my grandchildren…who knows.
Toto’s Cod Brandade
For 4 people
30 mins
You can find salted cod in most countries, it’s cheap and just requires a bit of patience. It can be a little daunting but speak to the vendor and tell them when you are planning on eating it, they will advise you how long to soak it for. Depending on how salted it is, it can get take up to several days to desalt.
Ingredients:
500 grams salted cod
300 grams potatoes, unpeeled and roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves
200 ml olive Oil
300 ml milk(for cooking the cod)
Black Pepper: To taste
1/2 lemon juice
Salt: To taste (be cautious as the cod is already salted)
Instructions:
Desalting the Cod:
Rinse the salted cod under cold running water to remove any surface salt.
Place the cod in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours (depending on the instructions) changing the water every 6-8 hours to remove excess salt. The cod should be adequately desalted but still flavorful.
Cooking the Cod:
Drain the cod and place it in a saucepan with the milk.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook the cod for about 10 minutes until it flakes easily.
Drain the cod, reserving the milk, and let it cool slightly. Remove any skin and bones, then flake the fish into small pieces.
Preparing the Potatoes:
In another saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. 10 minutes in, add the whole garlic cloves.
Drain the potatoes and mash them until smooth, with a large knob of butter and the remaining milk.
Combining Ingredients:
Combine the potatoes with the fish flakes, gradually add the olive oil while stirring to reach the desired creamy consistency.
Add the lemon juice and season with black pepper to taste. Adjust the salt if needed, but be cautious as the cod is naturally salty.
To gratin or not to gratin? I was slightly rush so I added some toasted breadcrumbs when I served it. If you have time, place the brandade in an oven dish, cover with breadcrumbs and grill in the oven for 15-20mins until nice and gold.
Woody enjoyed his with a bit of ketchup and I had a green salad on the side. It’s comfort food at its best, a real crowd pleaser.