Poking around the fish case in the North Main St. IGA, I found this cute little box of salt cod and experienced a near-Pavlovian reaction. When was the last time I had a nice garlicky brandade or baccala or any of its cousins? I do remember my first at the old Provence restaurant on Sullivan St. in Soho. But the last time? Can't think of it. So with the box of salt cod safely at home, I started researching recipes for Brandade de Morue.
Truth is I'd have bought this Bos'n brand salt cod for the box alone. Generally I don't go in for "cute" so much, but no denying it, this box to me is what Hello Kitty is to a 12 year old Japanese girl.
Back to the salt cod. It's common knowledge (or at least common sense) that it must be soaked to remove the excess salt and bring the leathery flesh back to life. But what's the best way to accomplish this? An unusual method that has stuck in my mind was in days of yore folks would to stash the preserved cod in the water tanks of pull-chain toilets.* This makes sense as long as you're quite certain that everything is as it should be, completely hygienic and all. This would have ensured a changing of fresh water with every flush. Sounds pretty convenient and practical.
We had a pull-chain privy in the basement at 405 Park Road but it was never involved in food preparation in any way whatsoever. Our Catholic fish on Friday dinners were mostly broiled swordfish, oven-baked perch or other white fish and the occasional platter of fried smelts.
Opinions on how long to soak salt cod vary widely. Emeril dictates a two day soak in milk. Martha advises a 24 hour soak changing the water every two hours (set your alarm before retiring!). The Bos'n box was more ambiguous, instructing one to rinse under cold running water for 15 minutes, then bringing the fish to the just-almost simmering point, drain, and repeating as many times as needed to remove the salty taste. Which is pretty much the same advice you'll find in Larousse Gastronomique.
My takeaway? Soak in water to remove the salt. I did a six hour soak, changing the water every two hours. In a big cooking pot just in case there are any doubts.
The soaking controversy is just the beginning. Most contemporary recipes call for boiled potatoes. The addition of tubers tone down the fishy flavor and act as an extender. Larousse doesn't say anything about potatoes so they were nixed right off the bat.
A quick scan of other recipes turned up scads of variables. Adding a bouquet garni (or two), poaching the cod in white wine, using shallots in addition to the requisite garlic, or mixing in chestnuts, artichokes, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, cayenne, Parmesan cheese and so on and so forth were all mandated in voices of firm authority.
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I don't doubt these variations-on-a-theme produce tasty results. Still my goal was producing a Brandade de Morue with a semblance of authenticity. So to Larousse's comparatively austere ingredient list of reconstituted salt cod, garlic, olive oil, cream and white pepper, I added a wee bit of white truffle oil and lemon juice. (Truffle oil totally optional; I do advise adding some lemon juice.) Plus a restrained sprinkling of Parmesan on top when it went into the oven to reheat before serving.
Slices of French bread fried in olive oil are non-negotiable. The juicy Greek olives shown in the picture are garnish, and a very tasty complement indeed.
When a recipe states "Served with a nice green salad it makes a lovely light lunch or supper" it's usually wishful thinking. Or a not-so-subtle message from a member of the self-appointed food police. But in this case that maxim proved true. The sharpness of the dressed greens and crisp batons of raw fennel was a much-needed foil to this very rich dish. This Brandade de Morue recipe is two parts fish, one part olive oil and one part cream after all.
Which is a damn fine combination for a pitch-perfect, hearty and particullary delicious treat.
Click here for the recipe for Brandade de Morue.
* The pull-chain toilet was invented in England by Thomas Crapper (1837-1920). At the time, this "c" word was already well-established in the same sense we use today. So Mr. Crapper's invention: serendipity or destiny? Regardless, who else would tell you these things?
