← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 450 g Salt cod (bacalao)
• 250 g floury potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 500 ml milk, for poaching
• 3 cloves Garlic, peeled
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Bay leaves
• 175 ml extra virgin olive oil, warmed
• 100 ml single cream or warm milk
• 1 lemon, zest and a squeeze of juice
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Soak the salt cod in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge for 24 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times, until it tastes pleasantly seasoned rather than salty.
2. Boil the potato in unsalted water for 15 min until tender, then drain and mash.
3. Drain the cod, put it in a pan with the milk, garlic, thyme and bay and bring to a bare simmer. Poach gently for 8–10 min until it flakes easily. Lift out the fish and garlic and discard any skin and bones.
4. Put the warm cod and garlic in a food processor and pulse to break up. With the motor running, pour in the warm olive oil and cream alternately in a thin stream until fluffy and creamy.
5. Beat in the mashed potato by hand, then season with pepper, lemon zest and juice. Taste before adding any salt. Scatter with parsley and serve warm with toasts, or spread in a dish and brown under the grill.

Tips

• Thicker pieces of salt cod may need up to 36 hours of soaking; taste a flake to check.
• Serve with crudités instead of toast to keep it gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Serious Eats 196 flavors Great British Chefs