This dish, called atascaburras recalls the classic French dish known as brandade, but made without milk. Here, it is served in a bowl and garnished with chopped walnuts and chopped hard-boiled eggs, with bread alongside, but you can also serve it spread on toasted bread and sprinkled with nuts.–Joyce Goldstein
Spanish Salt Cod and Potato Spread
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes, about 1 pound total
- 1 pound salt cod fillet, soaked for 24 to 36 hours
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 12 slices country bread, toasted or grilled, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce the potatoes in a few places, place in the oven, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, let cool until they can be handled, and then peel and pass the warm potato pulp through a ricer into a bowl, or mash in a bowl with a fork.
- While the potatoes are baking, drain the cod. In a saucepan, combine the cod with water to cover, bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, and cook until quite tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. Let the cod cool until it can be handled, and then break up the cod with your fingers, discarding any errant bones, skin, or tough pieces. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil until hot, and then remove from the heat.
- Put the salt cod in a food processor and process until almost a puree. Add the garlic, the hot oil, and enough of the fish cooking water to make a smooth mixture. Fold in the mashed potatoes with a few quick pulses. Do not over-process or the mixture will become gummy. (You can also use a bowl with a wooden spoon or an immersion blender.) If the mixture is too stiff, whisk in a little more oil or fish cooking water. It needs to be spreadable. Mix in the parsley, lemon juice, and pepper.
- Mound the mixture on a serving platter or in a wide bowl, and garnish with the walnuts and eggs. Accompany with the bread.
Notes
Suggested Wine
Spanish: Godello (Valdeorras) Viura/blend (Rioja, Catalonia) Non-Spanish: dry Chenin Blanc (France, South Africa), Alvarinho (Portugal)Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I love brandade and I love this Spanish salt cod and potato spread. The milk wasn’t missed at all. It was easier to make, incredibly creamy without being overly rich, with that wonderful salt-cod flavor teasing your taste buds but not taking over. It’s a wonderful appetizer. I felt it needed a little salt to enhance the salt-cod flavor, but all the other ingredients rounded out the texture and flavor.
