Brandade de Nîmes
A creamy emulsion of flaked salt cod, hot-emulsified with olive oil, milk, and a little garlic, spread on grilled bread or served gratinéed. A Lenten and everyday dish born from the salt cod trade.
A creamy emulsion of flaked salt cod, hot-emulsified with olive oil, milk, and a little garlic, spread on grilled bread or served gratinéed. A Lenten and everyday dish born from the salt cod trade.
You see, I am from Nîmes, and one no more forgets the brandade of one's childhood than one's first sorrow. My mother would flake the desalted cod and work it over low heat, adding oil and milk alternately, stirring without stopping until it became a cream white as snow. We would spread it hot on bread, and the scent of garlic filled the house. It is humble, it is from home, and it is worth many a Parisian feast.
- •Salt cod — a fine piece, desalted 24 h (base of the dish)
- •Olive oil — as much as needed (creamy emulsion)
- •Milk — a little, warm (softens the paste)
- •Garlic — one clove (flavor)
- •Grilled country bread — a few slices (support)
Brandade de Nîmes
A creamy emulsion of flaked salt cod, hot-emulsified with olive oil, milk, and a little garlic, spread on grilled bread or served gratinéed. A Lenten and everyday dish born from the salt cod trade.
Why this dish? Daudet was born in Nîmes, the capital of brandade. This creamy purée of salt cod, olive oil, and garlic is the emblematic dish of his hometown; he certainly ate it as a child at the family table in the Gard.
You see, I am from Nîmes, and one no more forgets the brandade of one's childhood than one's first sorrow. My mother would flake the desalted cod and work it over low heat, adding oil and milk alternately, stirring without stopping until it became a cream white as snow. We would spread it hot on bread, and the scent of garlic filled the house. It is humble, it is from home, and it is worth many a Parisian feast.
Ingredients (period version)
- Salt cod — a fine piece, desalted 24 h (base of the dish)
- Olive oil — as much as needed (creamy emulsion)
- Milk — a little, warm (softens the paste)
- Garlic — one clove (flavor)
- Grilled country bread — a few slices (support)
Ingredients
- Desalted salt cod (or cod + salt) — 500 g (base)
- Extra virgin olive oil — 15 cl (emulsion)
- Milk — 15 cl (softens)
- Garlic — 1 clove (flavor)
- Black pepper from the mill — to taste (seasoning)
- Country bread — 1 baguette or ½ loaf (grilled support)
Method
- Desalt the cod for 24 hours, changing the water several times, then poach for 8 minutes in simmering water.
- Drain, remove skin and bones, then flake the flesh.
- Gently warm the oil and milk separately.
- In a saucepan over low heat, mash the cod with the garlic and alternately incorporate the warm oil and milk, stirring vigorously, until a smooth and white cream forms.
- Season with pepper and serve warm on grilled bread, or gratinéed in the oven for a few minutes.
How it was made : Brandade originated in the 18th century in Nîmes, from the trade between Languedoc salt and Atlantic salt cod. In Daudet's time, it was made by hand in a warm mortar, without potato (the addition of purée is later).
The contemporary twist : Serve it in small warm verrines topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a Nîmes olive — a bite-sized appetizer.
Sources : J.-B. Reboul, La Cuisinière provençale (1897)
Alphonse Daudet · Charactorium
