Brandade from Nîmes
==================== 2024-11-16


Inspired by: Recette de Brandade de morue nîmoise

Comment: A Provençal specialty, particularly from the city of Nîmes, brandade de Nîmes does not contain potatoes, unlike its more northern version in the rest of France. It can be used as an apetizer, spread on toast, or mixed with mashed potatoes to make a classic brandade.
You can prepare brandade by hand, or better if you have a mixer. That's what I do here.

As an aperitif for 6 to 8 people.

Ingredients:
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500 g salted and dried cod
15 cl olive oil
15 cl milk
2 sprigs thyme
4+ crushed garlic cloves
white pepper
grated nutmeg
lemon juice (opt)

Preparation:
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Desalt the cod well. To do this, wash it under running water to remove all the salt on the surface, then soak it in the fridge in cold water, changed every 2 to 3 hours until the water is no longer salty (3 times more overnight - it depends on the fish).

Prepare the infused flavored milk, start cold, infuse the thyme and melt the garlic in the milk over a very low heat and covered (20 to 30 min). Let cool and let infuse overnight in the fridge.

Preparation:
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Cook the cod in the infused milk and stop as soon as it starts to boil. Remove the bones and skin if there are any.

Place the fish and garlic in the bowl of the food processor with the K (the leaf), crumble the fish, then gradually add the warmed EVOO and the warmed milk. Be careful, you can quickly add too much liquid, especially milk.

Add salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, continue to emulsify. Serve with a drizzle of EVOO, lemon juice (opt) and toasted bread.