Whipped Salt Cod Spread Casserole -Mπακαλιαρος πουρε στο φουρνο

This whipped spread made from salt cod and olive oil will convert any doubters.

This rich Mediterranean spread,  is made by whipping salt cod with olive oil and half-and-half until smooth and creamy. Fold in mashed potatoes for a milder version, or use pure fish for a more toothsome texture.

Prep the Salt Cod

Salt cod is, as you might imagine, incredibly salty. The first step is to soak it long enough to leach out salt and return the fish to edibility. This is perhaps the one great inconvenience of salt cod, because it really does need a long soak and therefore requires a little pre-planning. I've done it in as little as eight hours with several changes of water, but it's a roll of the dice as to whether it will still be too salty or not after that. A much more reliable plan is to soak it for a full 24 hours, changing the water multiple times. Some people soak it in milk, but I tested it out and didn't find any major difference between that and water; water, meanwhile, is free, and milk is not.

Once your salt cod is done soaking, it's time to cook it. Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the salt cod, add some aromatics like thyme, garlic, and a bay leaf, and simmer it for about 10 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and let it stand.

After it's cooled, drain the salt cod, reserve the cooked garlic (more on that below), then flake the cod into small pieces. Remove any bones you come across, and pluck away and discard the silvery membranes.

Consider the Potato

Brandade is often whipped with mashed potato, and it's entirely up to you whether to use it in your version or not. I like it both ways, but here's what to consider when deciding whether to add potato:

• The potato cuts the intensity of the salt cod flavor, which may be desirable for anyone who's still learning to love the stuff.
• It acts as filler, increasing the amount of brandade you'll end up making.
• It changes the texture of the brandade: Potato-free brandade is more toothsome, since it's almost pure fish, while the potato-loaded version is softer.

Some recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of salt cod to potato by weight, but I'd recommend only adding half as much potato, unless you want the mildest possible fish flavor.
If you do use potatoes, you can either bake or boil them, then mash them with a ricer, food mill, or potato masher. If you boil them, though, you should break normal potato-boiling rules by not salting the cooking water. It can be hard to know just how salty the cod will be even after it's been soaked, so it's better not to risk overly salty brandade by adding well-seasoned potato. You can always add salt later if it needs it.

Whip It Like You Mean It

Back in the old days, before electric kitchen appliances, brandade was made by beating the salt cod with a mortar and pestle while slowly adding the olive oil and other ingredients. That's pretty exhausting work, so, understandably, modern recipes call for tools like food processors to make brandade much easier to whip together. A food processor, though, creates a very different texture from the original by-hand method, since the blades chop the fish into teensy-tiny bits.

A better appliance for the job: a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. As the paddle spins, it beats the salt cod almost just like a mortar and pestle would, except much, much faster. The fish breaks down into a spread while retaining texture, since the individual fibers remain more intact.
The real thing to remember is that brandade is not just a salt cod salad. It's not salt cod dressed in olive oil. It's a whipped emulsion, more like baba ganoush or hummus, or even pesto. That's why you can add over a cup of olive oil to the mixture without the risk of it turning greasy.

Start by putting the flaked salt cod in the mixer bowl, along with garlic, which can be either the cooked garlic from the fish-poaching step or raw minced garlic if you want a punchier flavor. With the paddle spinning, drizzle in the olive oil. It's impressive how much the fish can absorb without becoming too oily.

Next, beat in the dairy. As I mentioned, not all brandade recipes call for it, but I find that it helps to create a creamier, more emulsified texture than olive oil alone. You can use whole milk or heavy cream, though I like half-and-half, since it strikes a balance of being rich without being heavy.

If you're using potato, add it toward the end so it doesn't get whipped as much. Over-working the potatoes can release starch and make them gummy.

The final step is to adjust the seasoning and add optional flavorings, like minced parsley and lemon zest.

Finish and Serve

The whipped brandade is ready to be served straight from the mixer bowl, but I like it best when it's hot and browned on top.

To heat it up, spread the brandade into an oven-safe baking or gratin dish, then put it in a hot oven until heated through. A few minutes under the broiler will get the top browned and crisp.

Then serve it while it's still warm with some crackers or baguette toasts.
I'd be willing to bet that anyone you serve this to will seriously consider buying their own salt cod the next time they're at the fish counter.

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• Yield:Serves 8 to 10 as an hors d'oeuvre
• Active time: 45 minutes
• Total time:1 hour 15 minutes, plus 24 hours soaking

Ingredients

• 1 pound salt cod
• 1/2 pound whole russet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes; see note above)
• 5 medium whole cloves garlic, plus 2 optional minced medium cloves garlic, divided (see note above)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil (or 3/4 cup if no potato)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half (or 1/4 cup if no potato)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems (optional)
• Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
• Crackers or baguette toasts, for serving

Directions

1. Rinse salt cod under cold running water until any salt on its surface is washed away. Transfer to a large container (cut the salt cod into smaller pieces if it doesn't fit whole) and cover with fresh water. Refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water several times during that period.
   
   
2. Bake potatoes in a 350°F oven until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Alternatively, put potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold unsalted water; set over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Split potatoes lengthwise, scoop flesh from potato skins, and mash using a food mill, ricer, or potato masher. Set aside.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, drain salt cod and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold unsalted water and add 5 whole cloves garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand in cooking liquid for 20 minutes.
   
   
4. Drain salt cod, reserving garlic; discard thyme and bay leaf. Flake salt cod, discarding any bones and silvery membranes.
   
   
5. Transfer salt cod and reserved cooked garlic to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle; add remaining 2 minced garlic cloves for a more intense garlic flavor. With the mixer running at medium-high speed, drizzle in the olive oil until fully incorporated. Then drizzle in half-and-half until fully incorporated.
   
   
6. Add mashed potatoes and whip just long enough to fully incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, and mix in optional flavorings, like minced parsley or lemon zest, if using.
   
7. 
   
   Serve the casserole  at room temperature with crackers or baguette toasts, or serve it warm and browned on top by transferring to an oven-safe baking dish or gratin dish and baking at 350°F for 10 minutes; then broil until browned on top, about 3 minutes.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer; food mill, ricer, or potato masher

Notes

Potato is a common, but optional, ingredient in this spread. Using it creates brandade with a milder flavor and softer, creamier texture; it also yields a greater quantity of brandade by acting as a filler. If you decide to omit it in favor of a brandade with a more assertive salt-cod flavor and toothsome bite, cut the olive oil down to 3/4 cup and the half-and-half to 1/4 cup. The cooked garlic adds a mellow flavor to the brandade, but you can punch it up by adding 2 minced raw cloves during the whipping step.