COD BRANDADA

BRANDADE DE MORUE (COD BRANDADA)

The recipe I am about to share is one of my favorites at home and is partially adapted from a small yet exquisite book by Simon Hopkinson, "Roast Chicken and Other Stories." While this recipe shares similarities with the Manchego Atascaburras, it differs, for example, in the absence of paprika and the inclusion of milk. It is more similar to our typical Levantine cod brandade.

Ingredients for approximately 4 people:

• 450 g of desalted cod (preferably the central part of the loin)
• 200 ml of olive oil
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• Plenty of black pepper
• 2 peeled and crushed garlic cloves
• 200 g of peeled potatoes, cut into large pieces
• Black olives and toasted bread

Instructions:

• Cook the potatoes in salted water, drain them, and leave them in the hot pot. Mash them while still hot and keep them warm.
• Place the cod in a saucepan with cold water. When it starts to boil, cook for 8 minutes over low heat. Drain and then place it in the Thermomix without the skin.
• Heat the oil slowly in one saucepan and, separately, in another saucepan, heat the milk with the garlic. Pour the oil and the milk with garlic alternately into the Thermomix at speed 3.
• Add the mashed potatoes with a fork and mix quickly, avoiding it becoming a sticky mass.
• Add the lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Adjust the salt as needed.
• Serve with black olives, toasted bread, and something light like asparagus, as it is a hearty preparation.