Brandade de Morue

Step 1

Place the salt cod in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Set the bowl in the refrigerator and soak for 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours, until the cod tastes pleasantly salty rather than overwhelmingly briny.

Step 2

After soaking, drain the salt cod and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any remaining small bones you feel when you press your fingers along the flesh.

Step 3

Cut the potatoes into 2-inch cubes so they cook evenly with the cod. Place them in a large pot with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches.

Step 4

Bring the water to a boil over high heat, watching until large bubbles break the surface continuously, about 8 minutes.

Step 5

Add the drained salt cod and the peeled garlic cloves to the boiling water.

Step 6

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, until a fork easily pierces the thickest part of the potato and the cod flakes apart when pressed gently.

Step 7

Drain the cod, potatoes, and garlic in a colander, reserving 0.25 cup of the cooking liquid in a small bowl.

Step 8

Place the cooked cod, potatoes, and garlic into a food processor or blender.

Step 9

Pulse 5–6 times until the mixture is chunky but mostly broken down, about 10 seconds total.

Step 10

With the processor running on low speed, drizzle in the 0.5 cup of olive oil slowly—about 30 seconds—until the mixture becomes pale, creamy, and emulsified, like thick mayonnaise.

Step 11

With the processor still running, pour in the warmed milk and the reserved 0.25 cup of cooking liquid in a thin stream, about 20 seconds, until the brandade is fluffy and holds soft peaks when you lift the blade.

Step 12

Taste the brandade and season with salt and white pepper, pulsing briefly after each pinch until it tastes balanced—salty and garlicky but not harsh.

Step 13

Transfer the warm brandade to a serving bowl or spoon it onto a platter in a shallow mound.

Step 14

Drizzle the top lightly with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil if desired, and serve immediately with sliced crusty bread or toasted bread rounds for dipping.