Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Salt Cod Brandade
- 250 g salt cod (bacalao), whole piece
- 250 g russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil, warm
- 100 ml whole milk, warm
- 3 garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 g white pepper, ground
Peppers
- 16 whole piquillo peppers, jarred and drained
Red Pepper Sauce
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 150 ml fish stock
- 30 ml heavy cream
- kosher salt
Garnish
- 5 g chives, finely sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 579 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 4525 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 25 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 106 mg
- Potassium
- 1506 mg
- Calcium
- 207 mg
- Iron
- 3.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 122 mg
- Phosphorus
- 719 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 104 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 58 mg
- Vitamin D
- 3.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 6.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.31 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 6.5 mg
- Folate
- 50 mcg
- Water
- 261 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the salt cod in a large mixing bowl covered with cold water. Refrigerate for 24 hours to remove excess salt, changing the water completely every 8 hours. Safety note: Keep the cod refrigerated during the entire soaking process to prevent bacterial growth.
Place the cubed potatoes in a saucepan, cover with unsalted cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender. Drain completely and crush through a potato ricer or mash smoothly. Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the whole milk and crushed garlic cloves to a gentle simmer. Add the drained, soaked salt cod. Poach gently at 80C/175F until the fish is completely opaque and flakes easily. Remove the cod with a slotted spoon, discard the garlic, and keep the milk warm.
Thoroughly flake the poached cod, ensuring absolutely all skin and bones are removed. Transfer the fish and the mashed potatoes to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually drizzle in the warm olive oil, alternating with splashes of the reserved warm poaching milk. Continue whipping until the mixture becomes a smooth, airy emulsion. Season with ground white pepper.
To prepare the sauce, heat the remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sauteing until completely soft and translucent without taking on brown color.
Roughly chop the 4 reserved piquillo peppers and add them to the saucepan. Deglaze with the dry white wine, scraping any fond from the bottom. Simmer until the wine has almost entirely evaporated.
Pour in the fish stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it cook down slightly. Transfer the entire mixture to a blender and puree on high speed until completely velvety. Return to the pan, stir in the heavy cream if using, and season with salt to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Transfer the warm brandade to a piping bag. Carefully open the top of the 12 remaining piquillo peppers and pipe the brandade into each cavity until full and slightly domed at the opening.
Arrange the stuffed peppers in a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven just until the filling is warmed through and the peppers are hot.
Ladle a generous pool of the hot red pepper sauce onto individual plates or a large sharing platter. Gently place the stuffed peppers into the sauce and garnish with finely sliced chives.
Chef's Notes
- Traditional Spanish brandada de bacalao often relies solely on olive oil and garlic. Adding potato is a variation that creates a milder, exceptionally creamy texture that is perfect for stuffing into delicate peppers.
- Piquillo peppers have a distinct sweet and slightly smoky profile. Be gentle when handling them straight from the jar, as they are fragile and tear easily.
- Do not boil the salt cod aggressively. A gentle poach keeps the proteins relaxed, resulting in a flakier, more tender finish.
- For the smoothest sauce possible, pass the blended pepper mixture through a fine-mesh chinois before returning it to the heat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store peppers and sauce in separate airtight containers.
Reheating: Gently warm in a 160C/320F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Do not microwave as the cod emulsion may separate.
Troubleshooting
The brandade separates and looks greasy or curdled.
Cause: The emulsion broke because the olive oil or milk was too cold, or liquid was added too quickly.
Fix: Transfer a small spoonful of the broken mixture to a clean bowl with a splash of hot water. Whisk vigorously until it comes together, then slowly whisk the rest of the broken mixture into this new emulsion.
Prevention: Ensure potatoes, cod, oil, and milk are all kept warm during the mixing process.
The dish is overwhelmingly salty.
Cause: The salt cod was not soaked long enough or the water was not changed frequently.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once assembled. If caught before stuffing, mash an extra boiled potato into the brandade to dilute the saltiness.
Prevention: Taste a tiny flake of the raw soaked cod before cooking. If it is still brutally salty, soak for another 12 hours.
Cultural Context
Pimientos del Piquillo rellenos de bacalao is a quintessential dish from Northern Spain, particularly beloved in the Basque Country and Navarra. It elegantly marries two of the region's most prized preserved ingredients: the triangular, fire-roasted piquillo pepper from Lodosa, and air-dried Atlantic salt cod.
