Ingredients
| 1/2 – 3/4 | Lb. | Salt cod – Rinsed for 3 days to remove salt – see below |
| 1 1/2 | 1 1/2 Med | Lemons |
| 1 | Large | Eggplant |
| 1 | Tbl. | Goat or Feta cheese |
| 1 | Med | Red pepper – sweet |
| 2 | Cloves | Garlic – chopped |
| 1 – 1 1/2 | Cups | Extra Virgin Olive oil |
Preparing the Baccala (Salted Codfish)
Soak the Baccala for three days in fresh water to which the juice of 1/4 of a lemon has been added. Change the water at least two times each day. Store bought cod may be used for this salad, but cod salted at home is better. A recipe for salting cod may be found in Martha Rose Schulman’s book “Provencal Light”, Bantam Books, New York, 1994, pp. 195 -196. A recipe, modified from Schulman, may be accessed in our Baccala Salad recipe.
Once the Baccala is soaked then rinsed, gently boil the Baccala for 3-4 minutes. Longer boiling will toughen the fish. Allow the fish to cool. Remove any bones and skin, and flake. Set aside.
Preparation of the Brandade
Peel then slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Salt each slice and let it sit in a colander for 35 -50 minutes to remove water. Rinse off the salt and gently squeeze each round to remove water from the slices. Fry the slices in small batches in about half of the extra virgin olive oil until they are golden brown. Remove from the fry pan and place on kitchen paper. When cooled, chop the eggplant into medium sized pieces.
Add the flaked salt cod, the garlic, the goat cheese, and 1/2 of the remaining olive oil to the bowl of a food processor, and process for 5-10 seconds. the pieces should be chopped into smaller pieces but not pureed. Now add the chopped eggplant, and process for a few seconds. Add a thin stream of olive oil and process. Continue this until the consistency of mixture is that of thick whipped cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The brandade can be used on crostini, as a dip for vegetables, or in a pasta dish. A recipe for a pasta dish made with brandade is provided on the The Artisan web site.
This dish pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp Viognier – like our 2009!
2009 Viognier
This wine was made from Northern California fruit of exceptional quality. The acidity is balanced and the alcohol level is 13.5%. That is consequential because many Viognier from the Central Coast exhibit 15%-16% alcohol levels. In our opinion, that masks the flavors, and screws up the acidic balance of a white wine. (“Screws up” is a scientific term.) Our 2009 Viognier offers a long finish. Overtones of stone fruit – peach and apricot abound on the palate. This wine can be served with most chicken, fish or a variety of pasta dishes main dishes. Great with appetizers too!
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