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Salt Cod Brandade

Today I want to share how to make a proper salt cod brandade. It's straightforward to prepare, and you can use it to stuff all sorts of things — mushrooms, piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, or simply spread it on a good slice of toasted bread. Let your imagination run wild! Ingredients 250g salt cod loin, soaked and desalted. 250g potatoes. 225ml milk. 100ml extra virgin olive oil. 1 small garlic clove. salt. Preparation Put the potatoes, skin on, in a pot and cover them with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then let them cook for about half an hour — give or take, depending on their size. Once they're cooked through, make a puree by mashing them with a fork or running them through a potato ricer. Place the soaked cod in a pot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Leave it covered for 20 minutes so the fish gently softens. Remove the cod pieces and flake them, picking out any bones and skin as you go. ...

Apple and Custard Cake



Ingredients

  • 80g cornstarch.
  • 2 whole eggs.
  • A pinch of salt.
  • 75g sugar.
  • Zest of half a lemon, finely grated.
  • 1 packet baking powder (like "Royal" brand).
  • 70g ratafia liqueur.
  • 100g heavy cream.
  • 50g melted butter.
  • 2 or 3 Golden Delicious apples (about 500g).

You'll also need:

  • 1 or 2 more Golden Delicious apples.
  • Pastry cream.
  • A round cake pan, 26cm diameter and 6cm high.
  • Parchment paper.
  • Apple jelly or peach jam.

For the custard:

  • 250ml milk.
  • 75g sugar.
  • 3 egg yolks.
  • 25g cornstarch.
  • 75g cream cheese (Philadelphia-style).

Preparation

First, let's make the custard. Heat the milk with the sugar in a saucepan.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch. When the milk is just about to boil, take out a spoonful and mix it into the yolks.
Whisk well, then add the rest of the hot milk and return everything to low heat. Keep stirring with a hand whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and keep whisking a bit longer off the burner so it becomes nice and smooth. Let it cool down completely.
Once it's cooled, fold in the cream cheese.
Stir it together with a hand whisk and set it aside for now.

Line your cake pan completely with parchment paper.
Preheat your oven to 180°C, with heat from both top and bottom.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the pinch of salt, lemon zest, and sugar.
Add the cream, ratafia, and melted butter. Keep beating until everything's well combined.
Finally, sift in the cornstarch and baking powder, and fold them through.
Peel the apples, remove the cores, and slice them very thin—either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
Mix the apple slices into the batter.
Pour this mixture into the prepared pan.
Spoon the custard into a piping bag and pipe a border all around the edge of the batter.
With the remaining custard, pipe a cross pattern over the top of the batter.
Now peel the rest of the apples and slice them with a knife—a bit thicker this time.
Arrange these slices between the lines of custard.
Pop it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door slightly ajar for another 10 minutes.
Take it out, remove from the pan, and let it cool completely.
Melt the apple jelly in a double boiler or the microwave, then brush it over the cake to give it a lovely shine.


Enjoy your dessert!
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