Friday...fishy time....

  Friday merits fish....Firstly because the choice is larger, secondly because the fish is fresher, thirdly because the prices are lower and fourthly because I'm not Catholic, but if I can profit then ....OK! Actually the dish I'm eating this Friday lunchtime can be made equally well any day of the week because it's main ingredient is "Morue" otherwise known as "Salt Cod" - and it is the national basic ingredient of Portugal in particular, where it is used in some manner almost daily. Morue is not a cheap affaire, but it is so strongly tasted that - like true caviar - little is needed.
"Morue" is also a collective name, but is generalised as "COD"....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod in English, and involves a multitude of other fish than the simple Cod known by everyone. In fact the dried version used in France and elsewhere for these delicious dishes is actually known as "Stockfish" in English and even in German.
In French it is known as "Morue" but is strictly speaking the dried salted version of "Cabillaud" (French for Cod) and other latin languages.
 http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morue
In other words, strictly speaking one can't really go fishing for "Morue" or "Stockfish" because the Cod it is generally made from just simply doesn't swim around dried and/or salted.....
Thoroughly confused now....? So can I get on with the cooking of the Morue in a Brandade.......?
It's so simple and so good....all you need is your dried and salted cod, a whole heap of GARLIC......all pounded together to give a creamy substance at the end....so simple, but so tiring...all that pounding, but like whipped cream, we have cooking machines that take most of the work out of it nowadays!  When you've got as far as this, then not only are you in need of a longish pause, but of something to eat and drink as well!
But.....firstly you have to decide what you are going to add to this creamy terribly concentrated mixture.
You can add cream and use it for little canapes - on biscuits, rounds of toast or bread and served with the apéritifs...there are so many possibilities of service - just do it!
Or even as a first course - mixed with cream or bechamel sauce,spread on toast or baguette bread, passed under the grill just to brown it - gratinée.... Or served as a gratineed dish by itself, accompanied by fresh crispy bread.
Even small "accras" - small or large balls of creamed Morue dipped in coating batter and deep fried...for the Apéritifs - for the entrée for the main course.....
Personally, I'm going to make my Morue into "Brandade de Nimes" or "Brandade parmentier" - mashed, creamed potatoes mixed together with the Morue.....couldn't be simpler or better...served with deep fried in olive oil, triangular croutons, maybe some black olives....... a touch of decoration, simple but effective, parsley and lemon, fresh crispy crusty bread....and you're off on a world trip of total pleasure.....
I did warn you that all this work makes you hungry.....so I'm off...!
Bonne Appétit.....
 

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iwmpop(mrlemarquis)     -     Vauvert, France     -      Juillet 2011