Brandade facts for kids
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| Type | Emulsion |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Roussillon, Languedoc and Provence |
| Serving temperature | With bread or potatoes |
| Main ingredients | Salt cod and olive oil |
| Variations | Atascaburras |
Brandade is a yummy, creamy dish made from salt cod, olive oil, and often potatoes. It's like a thick, savory spread! People usually enjoy it in the winter, often with bread or potatoes.
You might hear it called brandade de morue in French, or brandada de bacalao in Spanish. Both "morue" and "bacalao" mean salt cod. This tasty dish is a special food from regions like Roussillon, Languedoc, and Provence in France. It's also popular in Eastern Spain, especially in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia.
Similar dishes are found in other Mediterranean countries. For example, Italy has baccalà mantecato, and Portugal also enjoys dishes with dried salt cod. In the Greek Cyclades islands, they have "brantada." Another Spanish dish, atascaburras, is similar but also includes chestnuts!
Contents
What is Brandade?
Brandade is a type of emulsion. This means it's a mix of two liquids that don't usually blend, like oil and water, but are forced together to make a smooth, creamy texture. Think of how mayonnaise is made! For brandade, the main ingredients are salt cod and olive oil, which are blended until they become a thick, spreadable paste.
The Main Ingredients
The most important ingredient is salt cod. This is cod fish that has been dried and preserved with salt. This method of preserving fish has been used for hundreds of years. It allowed people to store fish for a long time without refrigeration. Before cooking, the salt cod needs to be soaked in water to remove most of the salt.
Olive oil is another key ingredient. It adds a rich, smooth texture and a delicious flavor. Many recipes also include potatoes. These are mashed and mixed in to make the brandade even creamier and more filling.
Where Does Brandade Come From?
The word "brandada" is unique and doesn't have a direct translation into other languages. It's thought to come from the Occitan word "brandar," which means "to stir" or "to shake." This makes sense, as you need to stir the ingredients a lot to make the creamy emulsion!
Brandade has been enjoyed for a very long time. In the 1800s, a famous French writer named Baron de Brisse shared a recipe for what he called "cod brandade" in a newspaper. This helped make the dish even more well-known.
How Brandade is Made and Eaten
Traditionally, brandade is made by cooking the soaked salt cod until it's tender. Then, it's flaked and mixed with warm olive oil, often by hand, until it forms a smooth, creamy paste. If potatoes are used, they are cooked and mashed before being added to the mixture.
Brandade is usually served warm. It's often spread on slices of crusty bread, used as a dip, or served alongside boiled potatoes. It's a comforting and hearty dish, especially popular during the colder months.
Regional Differences
Just like many traditional dishes, brandade has different versions depending on where it's made:
- In Menorca, an island in Spain, sometimes artichokes are added to the brandade.
- In French cities like Marseille and Toulon, people often add crushed garlic for extra flavor.
- In France and the Basque Country, potatoes are almost always included.
- However, in Catalonia, Spain, traditional brandade recipes usually do not include potatoes.
- It's important to know that traditional recipes in France and Spain do not use cream or milk. The creaminess comes from the olive oil and the way it's mixed with the cod and potatoes.
The earliest versions of brandade only had cod and oil. But potatoes have been added for a long time. When potatoes are included, the dish is sometimes called brandade de morue parmentière. This name honors Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who helped make potatoes popular in France.
See also
In Spanish: Brandada de bacalao para niños
