Smoked Haddock Brandade
Starters or Mains
Feeds 4-6
Cook Time: 45 Mins
Difficulty: Medium
Brandade is a seriously old school French dish. Traditionally made with salt cod that’s emulsified with olive oil and potatoes to make a seriously comforting bowl of food!
Making this with smoked haddock instead of the salt cod makes this dish a little more accessible and the smokiness of the fish adds a totally new dimension to it! I prefer this version way ahead of the traditional one!
This is an ultimate recipe for using up left over mash potato! Simply skip the boiling of the potato bit, get the fish cooked with mix it really well with the left over mash!
Serve it with toast, breadsticks or anything crunchy to contrast the flavours!
This will suit in small portions as a starter, a big bowl for a main or even as a lovely dip for some tortilla chips in front of the telly!
Frozen smoked haddock is a great choice for this - don’t fear the freezer section!
INGREDIENTS:
450g Smoked Haddock, skin removed
400g Milk
2 Cloves Garlic, Lightly Crushed
1 Bay Leaf (optional)
2 Sprigs Thyme or Rosemary, or both
1 Shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
5-8 Black Peppercorns (optional)
500g White Potatoes (Maris Piper are great)
100g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Fresh Soft Herbs Roughly Chopped eg Parsley & Chives
Salt
Lemon Juice
To Garnish:
Something Tangy - Pickled Red Onions or Capers
Black Pepper
Glug Extra Virgin Olive Oil
METHOD:
Pour the milk into a pan, add the garlic cloves, thyme/rosemary sprigs, shallot and peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer
Once simmering, carefully place the smoked haddock into the milk, place the lid on and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes so the fish gently cooks
Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes, place in a saucepan, cover with water and add a really good pinch of salt - bring to the boil
Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until completely soft and cooked, drain well, return to the pan and leave, off the heat to steam dry for 2-3 minutes
Mash the warm potatoes really well with a fork or a potato masher/ricer and set aside
Check the fish is cooked by gently lifting the fish out of the milk and checking it flakes up really easily
Once cooked, remove the fish and garlic cloves from the milk and set aside on a plate. Strain the milk through a sieve, retaining the milk and discard the rest of the aromats
Add 3/4 of the fish to a food processor along with the garlic and a small pinch of salt and blitz to a paste. On full speed, gently add the olive oil to form a thick emulsion (almost mayo like)
Return the mashed potatoes to the stove and heat on medium-low
Add a splash or milk and beat well. Keep adding milk until you get the desired texture. It should be unctuous, rich and creamy - like a light, loose mashed potato
Add the fish emulsion from the blender/food processor and continue to mix. Adjust the texture with more milk if needed
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice
Stir through the chopped herbs
When ready to serve, spoon into bowls, top with some pickled red onions or capers, flake the remaining fish over the top and add a good pinch of black pepper with a good glug of olive oil
Serve with crusty bread, toast or breadsticks
