Classic French Brandade de Morue Recipe in 5 Easy Steps

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 04/12/22
Brandade de Morue

Sarah Bossert / E+ / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Brandade is a wonderful dish from Marseille made from reconstituted salt cod and mixed with silky mashed potatoes to create an excellent, tasty dip perfect for any party or gathering. 

Though Brandade is a purely French specialty of pureed salt cod, there is some debate over the addition of potatoes. Traditionalists insist that cod alone is enough to create the smooth texture for which the dip is renowned. Other French cuisine experts enjoy the dimension added by potatoes and fearlessly throw them into the mix. Whichever version, undoubtedly this is a classic of the French kitchen from the south.​

Cook’s note: Be careful to bring the salt cod to just a simmer. If the cod is cooked any fiercer or even worse boiled, it will become tough and useless for this dip and a real shame.

 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces salt cod, rinsed well

  • 2 large baking potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed without additions

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

  • Salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Soak cod in a big bowl of water for three days, changing water twice daily.

  2. In a small saucepan, bring cream, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and cloves to a gentle simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until garlic is just tender. Remove bay leaf from cream and discard it. Process the cream in a blender until garlic is completely pureed.

  3. Drain the cod for the last time and discard the soaking water.

  4. In a separate saucepan, cover the cod with water and bring to a simmer. Drain the cod and add it, along with the garlic cream and mashed potatoes, to an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined. Beat for an additional 30 seconds, adding the olive oil in a slow stream. Do not overbeat this mixture or you risk turning the potato to glue. 

  5. Finally, season with salt and pepper; serve on a freshly sliced baguette, sourdough or pain rustique. 

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

 

What Is Salt Cod?

Simply, salt cod is a preservation method used for—you guessed it—cod. In many parts of the world, salted cod is a great alternative when there is no fresh cod, though it in no way resembles the fresh fish, once reconstituted with water it makes a delicious dish.

The cod is soaked, quite literally in salt for several days which sucks all the moisture from the fish. It will keep for several months. Before cooking the cod needs to be reconstituted by soaking in water to remove the salt and the little remaining after adds a lot to the dish. 

Brandade is also known as Bacalao in other cultures. 

Updated by Elaine Lemm 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
319 Calories
18g Fat
18g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 319
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 2083mg 91%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 83mg 6%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 861mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)