Brandade

Sometimes I get this craving for salt cod – it's so GOOD – try it!

Brandade with slow-baked tomatoes and caper dressing
(Serves 4-6)

1/2 pound salt cod
1 cup milk
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme
10 black peppercorns
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
White pepper and salt to taste

1 pound tomatoes, different kinds
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme
1 pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2-3 TBSP capers

Soak the cod in a big bowl of water for 1-2 days; change the water a couple of times.

Drain the cod and discard the soaking water. Place the cod in a saucepan with milk, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns and bring it to a gentle simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat of and let it rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Boil the potatoes and garlic in water until very tender – about 20 minutes. Discard the water and mash potatoes and garlic. Add the cod without skin and bones and mash again. Add the cream and beat until creamy. Add the olive oil in a slow stream and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with thyme, sugar, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven at 125 degrees C (250 degrees F) for a couple of hours.

Whisk lemon juice, mustard end olive oil together and add capers. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the tomatoes on four plates and mound the Brandade in the middle. Drizzle the caper dressing over tomatoes and Brandade and serve with bread or toast.

Left-over pizza

We had left-over’s Sunday; 1 fried pork chop and some potato salad containing chick-peas, tomatoes, feta cheese and olives.

I made a pizza dough and let it rise for about 4 hours. Rolled the dough out thin and spreaded a couple of tablespoons pesto on the dough, Then I scattered very thin slices of the pork chop over it and added the potato salad. I grated some parmesan over that and put the pizza in a very hot oven (250 degrees C/485 degrees F) for about 15 minutes.
It was delicious – and my daughter: Mathilde loved it.
So that is how you feed 3 people with 1 pork chop!

Here is the pizza dough recipe:

10 g/2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 dl/1 1/2 cup tepid water
500 g/3 1/2 cup strong wheat flour
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp salt

Mix everything together and knead the dough in a machine for about 5 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Put the dough in a bowl brushed with olive oil, cover it and let it sit on the kitchen table for as long as you can wait.
Put the dough on a table sprinkled with flour and roll it to the thickness you like. Put the dough on a baking sheet and spread some pesto or tomato sauce on it. Ad your favorite left-over’s and bake it in a very hot oven for about 15 minutes.