TUNA PRESERVED IN OIL

I SAID I WAS DIETING and as I said, I also hit Chinatown the other day and made major purchases from the Atlantic Ocean. (I think they're all from the Atlantic Ocean.)

I haven't gotten to making everything yet, but, I bought 3-1/2 pounds of Sushi grade tuna, a pound of baby octopus, a pound of medium-huge shrimp, a pack of razor clams (about 35 to be precise) and a whole flounder all for the tasty price tag of $58.00! The fish is always extremely fresh in Chinatown and the price certainly is right!

Periodically, I get the yen to make my own preserved tuna in oil and when the price of tuna hovers just below $8.00 a pound, it is the perfect time to invest in making a few jars of it. As I've said before, make this once and you'll never buy a can of tuna again. The jar pictured below is about a pound of tuna, which in a store would cost about $35.00. You do the math.

3-4 pounds tuna

8 cups water

2 tbs. sea salt

5 tsp. red or white wine vinegar

4 cups oil (I mix olive and canola oils for this but you can use any vegetable oil of your choice

Slice the tuna into steaks and put them in a pot with the water and the salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the vinegar and cook over moderately high heat for about 15 minutes. Remove the tuna with a slotted spoon and place on a flat roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate for at least 10 hours or overnight.

Make sure you have enough sterilized canning jars to hold all the tuna you'll be preserving. Pull the tuna steaks apart into long  wedges. Any of the broken pieces should be place at the bottom of each jar to help anchor the longer strips. Arrange the strips vertically in the jar leaving about 1/2 inch clear at the top. Do this with all the jars until the tuna is completely used up. Fill each jar with the oil and let rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the tuna to absorb the oil. Add more oil at the end before you seal the tops, leaving some room in between the surface and the top of the twist off cover. 

Place all of the jars in a large stock pot which has been lined with a metal insert or a folded dish towel. Fill the pot with cold water and set over a high flame and bring to the boil. Cook for 60 minutes. Cooking time should be timed from the moment you turn on the stove. After an hour, turn off the stove and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes but letting the jars sit in the water until completely cooled is fine too.

Remove from water, dry the outsides of the jars and store in a cool, dark and dry place or in the refrigerator. If sealed properly, the tuna will last for approximately 1 year.

Buon appetito!

CAESAR SALAD

I'VE BEEN MAKING THIS CAESAR SALAD for 40 years. It's the salad they used to make in the old English Room in the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Of course, this was years and years before restaurants started adding the now ubiquitous chicken or shrimp, which I don't like at all and never use. It just isn't the classic salad with poultry or shellfish and somehow detracts rather than enhances the real flavors of the salad. However, I was in Chinatown the other day and bought a barbecued duck, which had been cut into pieces, and thought . . . "why not!" 

CAESAR SALAD WITH DUCK (AND ANCHOVY FILETS!)

All of the ingredients in this Caesar Salad are allowed on the South Beach diet, except the croutons, which as you will see from the photograph above, are omitted.

1 large head Romaine Lettuce
2 cloves minced garlic
A good pinch of salt
2-3 chopped anchovy filets
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard
Several dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 coddled egg
Juice of one lemon
Grated Parmesan cheese
8-10 whole anchovy filets
1/2 roast barbecued duck cut in pieces (bones and skin removed)

In a large wooden salad bowl, press the garlic and the salt together with a wooden spoon to make a paste and oil the entire surface of the salad bowl. Add the chopped anchovy and continue to do the same to incorporate both ingredients.

Once you've gotten a good paste, add the oil and vinegar, the dry mustard and the Worcestershire and mix thoroughly. Place the egg in a deep soup bowl, pour boiling hot water in it and allow to coddle for about a minute. Break the egg and mix the egg with the dressing. Add the lemon juice and stir vigorously. 

This dressing can sit in the bowl until you are ready to add the lettuce and toss before serving. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Add the duck (optional) and top with the anchovy filets and serve. A few turns of the pepper mill are always welcome!

Buon Appetito!

DETOXING WITH SOUTH BEACH

I DON'T KNOW if I mentioned it, but I gained almost 20 pounds over the holidays. This is what happens when you bake almost 800 cookies and are left to one's own devices and desires. Not only did my physician give me hell, but the thought of seeing that horrendous number on the scale a second time, sent me into a tailspin of guilt and self-loathing. Reading the South Beach Diet Cookbook didn't help either, considering I was focusing on the detriments of hypoglycemia!

So, let's start with my own version of V-8 Juice.

1 stalk chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/3 peeled cucumber

5 cloves garlic

2 tbs. fresh ginger

4 tbs. chopped scallion (green part only)

1 chopped shallot

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. minced jalapeno

1 12 oz. can Kirkland organic tomato sauce

1/2 cup cold chicken broth (no fat)

A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

A couple of dashes of Tabasco

3-4 cups water (to be added at the end)

Put all vegetables and citrus juices, jalapeno, garlic and ginger in a large electric blender. Blend on liquify until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken broth and blend. The juice should be very thick. Add the Worcestireshire and Tabasco and taste for seasoning. It shouldn't really need anything; especially not salt. Add a little water to thin it out if too thick. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. Add more water if necessary when it becomes too thick.

Flounder Baked in Parchment

FLOUNDER IN PARCHMENT

1 whole flounder, scraped of all gills and skin removed from one side.
3 tsp. fresh grated ginger
4 garlic cloves smashed
3 tbs. chopped scallions
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. Mirin
1 tsp. Japanese soy sauce (non GMO)
Juice of one lime
1 lime sliced very thin

Parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Cut the parchment paper into a large enough piece that you will be able to fold and tent it when the fish is read to go into the oven.

Place the whole fish on the paper.

Mix all of the other marinating ingredients together in a small bowl. When ready to cook the fish, brush some of the marinade over the entire surface of the fish, pour on what it left and arrange the sliced limes down the center of the fish.

Tent the fish with the parchment and put into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Flounder, being a flat fish like sole has extra bones along the outer edges of the filet. You will have to remove these bones first and then cut down the center of the fish and with a spoon, slide the filet away from the bone.  Do this to the other side and then remove the spine and bone in one piece. Divide the fish into 2 portions on a plate and serve.

We had a watercress and broccoli sprout salad with cucumbers and roquefort cheese vinaigrette. Totally delightful, light and very delicious.

Tomorrow, home made jarred tuna in oil, razor clams and Caesar Salad with duck!

Buon appetito!

An appeal . . .

NEW HAMMERS, STRINGS, PIN BLOCK AND SOUNDBOARD!

As many of my readers may already know, I am in the middle of a major renovation of my 1928 Steinway. I ran out of money and have started a campaign on Indiegogo.com to raise the remainder of the funds needed to pay for the work done. Please refer to the link attached and please consider donating to this very worthy endeavor. Any amount, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated. If you can't give, but know anyone who might be interested in supporting this campaign, please send them the link and help to make this happen!

So, if you can, please do help me with this important project. A musician, after all, cannot live, or hope to pursue his goals, without an instrument on which to practice.  A full description of the project and its costs are disclosed in the link below. Thank you!

INDIEGOGO STEINWAY REBUILD APPEAL

PIZZA!

IF EVER THERE WAS A WEEK TO USE THE OVEN, this was it!  Single digit temperatures and high winds bring out the benevolence in bakers and the aromas of dough, yeast and oil certainly do make one hungry for substance! 

I should mention here that I have never been a big pizza maker, at least not of the type I made this week. In my family, we make sfinciuni, a deep dish pizza you would recognize as focaccia. Keeping in mind here that even though pizza is an extremely humble dish, it can take on numerous forms, the two most popular being the Neopolitan thin crust pizza with blistered crusts from a hot pizza oven and the Sicilian counterpart which employs much more flour, yeast and oil, rises for much less time, and is usually dressed with only tomato, oregano and sometimes anchovy or tuna, or whatever you may have in the house. This is not a dish that an Italian cook would plan, per se, but make spontaneously with whatever ingredients are in the house.

I've taken inspiration here from Jim Laehy's "My Pizza" book which I found in the library, and will be using his pizza dough recipe - a simple thing if one pays attention.

This dough rises for 18+/- hours before being used (notice how little yeast is required). Once formed into individual balls, it can be refrigerated, if necessary, for up to a week, but I wouldn't wait that long. A day or two tops.

Tomato and only Tomato!

3-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. dry yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 cups water
Extra flour for the board, your hands, etc.

Mix the flour, yeast and salt together and add the water and stir with a wooden spoon or mix with your hands until the dough comes together in one mass and all flour debris from the sides of the bowl adhere to the dough. Knead a little on a lightly floured work surface and form a ball and cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place for 18+/- hours. Dough will rise to at least twice in volume. This recipe will yield 4 pizzas.

While the dough is rising, you can prepare any combination of sauces or toppings for the pizzas.

Tomato

1 can peeled San Marzano tomatoes
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 clove garlic smashed
black pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Crush the tomatoes with your hands in a large stainless steel bowl. Add the oil, spices and the garlic. Mix well and store in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Fennel and Duck Prosciutto

Fennel and Duck Prosciutto with Mascarpone and Provolone

1 cup chopped Fennel stalks (with fronds)
4 tbs. Duck Prosciutto diced (you can use regular prosciutto)
2 tbs. mascarpone
1 tsp. heavy cream
3 tsp. grated Pecorino Romano
1 tbs. grated Aurecchio Provolone
Black Pepper

Potato

Potato and Shallots with Mascarpone

2 small red potatoes, sliced paper thin with a mandolin
1 shallot sliced paper thin
1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
2 tbs. duck fat
1 tbs. butter
2 tbs. mascarpone

Heat the duck fat and the oil in a cast iron skillet just large enough to hold the sliced potatoes in one layer.

When the oil is just about to smoke, layer the potatoes and fry over moderately high heat. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle on the shallots and rosemary. Do not disturb the potatoes during cooking. Cook for about 10 minutes and turn off the heat. Reserve the mascarpone and allow the potatoes to rest until you are ready to bake the pizzas.

When the dough has risen, take a pastry cutter or a large knife and divide the ball of dough into 4 equal balls. Working on a lightly floured surface, flatten each disc and knead with the heal of your palm and stretch out away from you on all four sides. Turn the dough back towards you and fold so all four corners come to the center. Roll the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and let rest. 

When you are ready to bake the pizzas preheat the oven to 500º. Place a rack with a ceramic pizza stone on it about 8 inches below the broiler and heat for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler on and continue to heat the stone for another 10 minutes or so. During the heating period, you can prepare the pizzas.

You can roll the pizza dough out on a floured work surface, or you can press and stretch with your fingers or you can stretch and pull with your knuckles as they do in pizzerias. All of these require a little technique and practice. Since there is not another rising period, it is important to work quickly.

Place a pizza on a floured peel and begin to create your pizza. 

For Tomato, spoon a little sauce around the pizza, leaving about an inch free around the borders. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle a little salt on and slide the pizza onto the stone with a back and forth jerking motion with the peel. Bake in the oven for 3 - 4 minutes. Pizza should be bubbling and the crust should be browned. Remove with the peel and serve immediately.

For the fennel and prosciutto: spread a little of the cream and cheese mixture on top of the dough. Add the fennel and the prosciutto, top with the grated cheeses. Place on the stone in the same fashion as directed above and bake for the same time period. More if you want a more molten cheesy top.

For the potato: Spoon out some of the mascarpone leaving an inch wide border around the crust. Slide the potato "pie" onto the pizza and bake for 3-5 minutes - or until the potatoes are golden brown and have curled a little.

Sfinciune (or Focaccia in Italian)

Sfinciune with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Sfinciune is a Sicilian dish and is considered to be more a bread than a pizza. It can be made with literally any topping you like but is most often, as I said before, baked with whatever happens to be in the cupboard at the time. Of course, here on our side of the pond, it is very trendy to arrange your antipasto platter around this dish or that and "focaccia" is no exception. Be that as it may, let us remember that is it peasant food and I'm sure that many a grandmother, including my own, would be appalled to see expensive restaurants charging upwards of $25.00 for something that costs pennies to make.

Here is a basic recipe for the dough. The toppings above are acceptable but I would use oregano with the tomato and add anchovies to make it more Sicilian.

4 cups all purpose flour (more for kneading and dusting)
1 package dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. coarse salt
3 tbs. olive oil.

Sprinkle the yeast and the sugar into the warm water and let dissolve for about 10 minutes to let the culture bubble. Mix the salt with the flour and add the liquid and the olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands. Everything should form a mass and all debris should fall away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the ball to a lightly floured wooden board and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm, dry place in the kitchen (the stove is usually the best place). Let rise until doubled in volume (about an hour). 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled rectangular baking dish and cover again and let rise for an hour. Make sure all the corners of the pan have been filled with the dough during the rise. Take your finger tip and make indentations in the dough. Brush with a little olive oil and continue with the topping of your choice. Bake in a 450º oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pizza has shrunk from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before cutting. Serve immediately.

Bon appetit!

ZUPPA DI PESCE E FRUTTI DI MARE

My fish soup is complicated (aren't they all?). I save stocks of all ilk in my freezer. I hauled out a big tub of shellfish stock from Fire Island 2012 out of the freezer and couldn't believe it was still good - and I mean delicious. Or course, it's only frozen liquid and, if kept perfectly frozen, there really isn't any reason why it should go bad or "south" as they say when talking "fish-speak!" Being multi-lingual is so impressive, don't you find?

There are many schools on fish soup: is it stew? Is it Bouillabaisse? Is it Cioppino? Is it Burrida? It really could be all of the above, but most of the aforementioned dishes require, if not demand, particular ingredients. Scorpion fish, eel, lobster,  John Dory, etc., etc., etc., all factor into each of these dishes and in Marseilles, it is said that there is no one in complete agreement on what goes into La Bouillabaise vrai! 

Considering that it is, in all forms, a fisherman's soup, made from what is caught in a day's take from the sea, it is highly likely that the origins are very humble and any and every fish and shellfish available to them was used to make this fragrant and delicious meal - and with Aioli and bread, it is indeed a meal!

I originally made the soup for Christmas Eve with cod, clams, and shrimp (sorry! no seven fishes this year!). And because I wanted to be just a little bit Venetian, I made risotto from the broth so there were onde (waves) in the bowl. What was leftover evolved over the week, with the addition of more stock, fish and shellfish, into a lunch, another dinner and finally, tonight, yet another soup with more stock from other fish (clams crayfish, cod and some octopus). With this fourth meal, the stock became so rich and dense with flavors of the sea that seasoning hardly mattered. Be that as it may, the crowning glory of this soup is the addition of Aioli in the bowl: thick, creamy mayonnaise studded with massive amounts of garlic, a little mustard, cayenne, lemon juice and saffron. I've found myself eating the stuff with a spoon on more than one occasion. 

Fish and Shellfish Soup

8 cups tomato flavored shellfish stock

1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots sliced
1 onion, minced

1 fennel bulb (stems and fronds minced, the body sliced and diced)
4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tsp. pulverized fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. pulverized anise seed

2 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Orvieto, even Soave will do, but not Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc) 

1 packet powdered saffron

4 tbs. olive oil 

1 lg. can peeled tomatoes (crushed with hands or passed  through a food mill)
12 cups water

2 tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. anise extract or 1/4 cup Pernod/Ricard

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. salt cod (soaked for 2 days with frequent changes - every 5-6 hours - of cold water)

1-4 lobsters (depending on the number of people)

6-10 sea scallops (cut in half or quartered)

1 doz. little neck clams

12-18 mussels (if you like them)

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined (shells used for the shellfish stock)

Varying amounts of squid and baby octopus according to taste and whim (optional)

In a very large stock pot, heat the olive oil until almost smoking. Add shallots, fennel, onion, and spices until the vegetables soften and become translucent. Mix the saffron with  the white wine and pour into the pot. Cook down a bit. Add the shellfish stock and bring to the boil. Mix the extra olive oil with the crushed tomatoes and add that to the pot. Mix the tomato paste with the 12 cups water and pour that into the pot and bring to the boil once more.

Salt and pepper to taste and add the anise flavoring or the Pernod.

This can cook, covered at a very low simmer for an hour or so  to blend favors. Do not add fish until you are almost ready to serve dinner, but if using octopus, you should cook those in the pot at least one hour before adding any of the other elements. Alternatively, you can cook the squid and the octopus separately, remove from the pot to clean off the dark skin on the octopus and slice up the meats for a prettire presentation at the end, but it should go back into the stock before serving.

Add the shell fish (shrimp, clams, mussels, and lobster*) and then the scallops and the fish. Cook for about 10 minutes or so. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper and if you like add more Pernod.

Serve in large bowls or deep dish plates with Aioli and baguettes.

*1-1/2 lb. lobsters require about 11 minutes in boiling liquid. If you don't want to throw live lobsters into boiling lava, take a large chefs knife or a meat cleaver and cut straight down the back from the eyes to the tail and separate the body before immersing it in the stock.

Aioli

You can make your own mayonnaise if you like (see my recipe below), but if you're pinched for time, this is what to do:

5-12 cloves garlic (up to you)
2 cups Hellman's mayonnaise
Juice of one lemon
4 tsp. Coleman's Dry Mustard
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
a pinch of saffron or a small sprinking of saffron powder

Process the garlic in a food processor until it becomes a paste. Add the other ingredients and process until completely blended. It will be very thick. If you like, you can add a tbs. of heavy cream or a dollop of creme fraiche to soften the flavor. Either way strong and pungent or delicately picquant, it is delicious.

Bon appetit!

Mayonnaise

3 egg yolks
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
2 cups canola and olive oil mixed together
Pinch of salt and white pepper
Tarragon (optional)
Worcestershire Sauce
Cayenne Pepper
Nutmeg
Paprika
Tabasco

Using an electric blender, heat the canister in boiling hot water. Dry out and add the eggs and blend. Add the juice and the venegar and blend until thick. Add the pinch of salt and using the center hole in the top of the blender start drizzling the oil a little bit at a time but in a constant stream. It will be very thick like custard if done properly. When you have achieved the mayonnaise state, add a dash each of the Worcestershire Sauce, the Tabasco, the spices and mix well. Correct seasoning if more salt is necessary, but remember, less is more and you can always add more later. Remove canister from machine and extract as much as you can with a rubber spatula and put into a large canister or glass jar. You should yield about 2 cups of mayonnaise. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Will keep in the refrigerator for a month.

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN SOLITUDE

FIRST OF ALL, Happy New Year! It's is exactly 12:03 a.m. and we are now in 2014! At least in New York. I know people in Madrid, Rome and Berlin who are already in bed and California is, as always, 3 hours behind. Australia is already approaching January 2nd. Funny thing that International Dateline!

I didn't make plans for tonight's festivities (in general, I eschew big crowds, unless they're for me!) but I did have a friend or two over for tidbits of this and that and later today I will do something more elaborate, perhaps a rack of lamb or a major pasta dish with duck. 

In any event, tonight I made a little platter of prosciutto and chopped liver with some crusty bread as well as a Brandade. 

Serving salami or prosciutto with a spreadable and bread is always a nice thing no matter how large or small the crowd is (it's perfect for one person, too). It does, however, allow you to do other things while everyone nibbles, including you, and be social at the same time. 

Prosciutto and Chopped Liver

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVERS (my way)

As you will see, this is not any old kind of chopped liver. Since the only ingredient in common with its Jewish/Kosher counterpart is the chicken liver, this version gilds the lily with madeira and balsamic vinegar and duck fat, and then gilds again with the addition of milk and tomato paste. It is extremely rich, yet moist and full of bittersweet flavor. If I wanted to make this a truly Sicilian dish, I'd have added unsweetened cocoa powder (but only a little!) and/or raisins. 

1 lb. chicken livers

1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic (smashed)

2 tbs. butter

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. duck fat

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp. dried tarragon

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Madeira

1 cup whole milk

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

3 heaping tbs. tomato paste

Drain the liver into a small china cap strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside and allow to continue draining until needed.

Melt butter, oil and duck fat in a medium-sized pan with high walls. Add the onion and saute up to the point where the onions begin to brown and caramelize. Add the livers, season with salt and pepper and the tarragon and sauté until well browned. Add the vinegar and cook until it boils. Add the Madeira and cook that until it boils as well. Let reduce by half. The livers and juices should be quite thick. Add all of the milk and the nutmeg and cook until that boils. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes. The liquid should be very thick and bubbling. Stir often. After about 20 minutes or so, add the tomato paste and combine with the cooking juices. Continue to cook until the liver takes on a very dark, mahogany color. Let reduce until there is almost no liquid left (2 tbs. should be sufficient). You'll know it's done when oil starts to gather on the surface and at the sides of the pan. Take off the heat and let rest and cool down for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the entire contents of the pan into a food processor and process for about a minute. You should have a silky, thick yet moist chicken liver paste. You can process longer is you want a dense, smooth consistency. 

Transfer to a small bowl for presentation. You will have a lot so put the rest in a plastic container and reserve for another time or to refill the bowl later on.

Place the chicken liver in the center of a large serving dish, arrange slices of prosciutto on one side and slices of toasted baguettes on the other and serve.

BRANDADE*

Salt cod can be used in many ways but this dish is a particular favorite of mine and can be eaten either as an hors d'oeuvres or if you're so inclined, an entree with a salad or vegetable. It requires a few steps but isn't difficult to make at all and the rewards for patience are great!

1 lb. salt cod (soaked in frequent changes of cold water over the course of 18-24 hours)
3 medium-sized potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch dice)
2-1/2 cups milk
5-10 cloves peeled garlic
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
12 turns of a pepper mill
8 gratings of nutmeg

1/2 cup olive oil

Enough freshly grated Parmeggiano (3-5 tbs.) to cover top of au gratin dish.

Brandade au Grating

Place the filets of fish in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cover. Cook for 3 minutes or so. Drain the fish in a colander and let rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes and prepare the other ingredients.

Return the fish to the pan with the potatoes, the garlic and the milk. Add the thyme, the pepper and nutmeg. Bring the milk to the boil, lower heat to a healthy simmer and cover and cook for about 30-35 minutes. After about 20 minutes or so remove the cover if there is too much milk left in the pan. You want to make sure the milk reduces by at least half. 

When the mixture is cooked, take it off the heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove the thyme and discard. With a slotted spoon, transfer the solids to a food processor and begin processing, adding the milky liquid a little at a time with each addition. It will be very thick. Using the feed tube of your food processor, drizzle all of the olive oil into the processor while motor is running. Correct seasoning if necessary. Pour the brandade into a gratin dish large enough to hold all of the mixture or divide the puree between various sized dishes (which you can cover and freeze for another time - they reheat extremely well!). 

Sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake in a 425º oven for about 30 minutes or until the grating is bubbling and the top has become golden brown.


Take out of oven and let stand for about 10 minutes to cool. Serve with slices of baguettes.

*This is adapted from Jacques Pepin's recipe found in Chez Jacques. He serves his Brandade with a semi-hard boiled egg (Mollet Eggs) which is making an already rich dish that much richer.

6 eggs

Carefully lower the eggs into boiling water and cook gently for 6 minutes. Drain the hot water out of the pan and add cold water and ice and set aside to thoroughly chill the eggs. Peel the eggs carefully under a cold stream of water, only after they're completely cooled. Place the eggs in a bowl of cold water and reserve until ready to serve. To reheat, place the eggs in a sieve or steamer and lower into a pan of hot water and reheat for 2 minutes. The eggs can now be used to serve on top of the Brandade with heated baguettes slathered with butter.