Brandade de morue, six good places to find it

Served hot with steamed potatoes, prepared as a parmentier, it's just as delicious. Or mixed with mashed potatoes, stuffed with sweet peppers and baked in the oven, or blended with beaten egg, mashed potatoes and breadcrumbs, then shaped into deep-fried croquettes...

In the Middle Ages, salt was transported inland from Mediterranean ports such as Aigues-Mortes. Dried and salted fish, particularly cod, were used as currency in exchange for this rare and precious commodity. Thus prepared, it became cod.

Like estofinado, the equivalent of stockfish in Nice, which fed the miners of Decazeville, brandade (from the Occitan verb brandar, "to stir") came naturally to the region.to stir") came naturally to Nîmes and Alès, in the form of a purée with olive oil and herbs. Over the centuries, the recipe evolved into a complete dish, mixing brandade with mashed potatoes, but the original recipe is that of cod mashed with milk and oil, and well seasoned.

Six good places to find it

Raymond Geoffroy ❤

Raymond, founded in 1879 and still in the hands of the same family, perpetuates the brandade recipe. Today, the company has diversified into other southern preparations, such as spreads and fish soups.

Tasting notes: A smooth but slightly lumpy appearance, like tarama, which is quite appealing. The nose is rather well-balanced and iodized. The texture is pleasant, with chewiness, a touch salty, but close to what you'd expect from a brandade, in which the fish is very present.

• 7,95 € (200 g)
• 28, avenue Franklin-Roosevelt
• 30000 Nîmes
• brandadedenimes.com

Enjolras Frères ❤

The two brothers Jeannot and Zézé Enjolras started making fish soup and brandade back in the 1980s. Since then, their children have taken over, respecting artisanal recipes based solely on fresh, natural, quality produce. Delivery to various points of sale.

Tasting notes: Attractive appearance, clean, slightly creamy nose, with a hint of iodine. Supple, fluffy texture, with a strong presence of mixed fish. Taste both subtle and powerful, very well balanced. Fresh on the palate, with a good density of fish for a full-bodied chew with a pronounced flavor. A job well done.

• 6 € (200 g)
• Zone artisanale, 30240 Le Grau-du-Roi

Azaïs-Polito

The 60-year-old company has been awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label in 2019, thanks to 2nd-generation entrepreneur Jean-Claude Polito. Tradition and innovation go hand in hand. Made with milk, which gives it its color, faithful to the Sétoise recipe, the brandade can be adapted to versions with summer truffles, yuzu, anchovies, porcini mushrooms, spinach...

Tasting notes for the "Les Saveurs du Midi" range: The appearance of a rather fluid, smooth purée, with a good, straightforward nose of fish, where the milky taste prevails in the mouth, for a balanced taste that lacks a little sea and seasoning. A pleasant and simple product overall.

• 10,10 € (170 g)
• 15, rue de Bruxelles, 34200 Sète
  azais-polito.fr

La Nîmoise

Recognized as a quality producer-craftsman by the Collège Culinaire de France, Christophe Mouton (4th generation) makes brandades without preservatives or gluten, with varying percentages of cod - from sustainable fishing -, dairy-free or Ecocert-certified brandades, canned or fresh, seasonal (with asparagus or truffles in winter).

Tasting notes for the "L'Authentique" range: A well-calibrated, well-salted product. You can see the pieces of fish, even if the taste is very dairy. Good freshness, with a little chewiness, a good standard as expected.

• 7,50 € (200 g)
• 18, rue Émile-Jamais, 30000 Nîmes lanimoise.fr

Maison Coudène

In 1936, René Coudène perfected canned brandade. In 1975, his son Michel developed sales to supermarkets. In 1984, the site was expanded. Today, Magali, the creator's granddaughter, continues to develop the brand.

Tasting notes: A very white appearance for a product worked like a fish spread, well-salted, smooth, lacking a little concentration, but corresponding to what you'd expect from a good brandade.

• 4,47 € (200 g)
• 600, avenue de Campello 30380 Saint-Christol-lès-Alès
• coudene.com

Saveur des Calanques

This is the non-gardoise of tasting. A living heritage company located on a quay very close to the one that was supposedly blocked by a sardine... and 70 km from Nîmes. The young proprietor from the Var and his Breton wife not only know how to make a good brandade, but also how to prepare poutargue.

Tasting notes: An interesting nose, with a texture reminiscent of semolina. The cod, well present on the attack, is subdued in flavor, well salted, marked by an impression of scrambling, in a well-balanced whole.

• 8,70 € (190 g)
• Quai des Sardiniers, 13110 Port-de-Bouc, France
• https://www.saveurdescalanques.com/