September 11, 2025
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About this recipe
Honestly, when I first saw this brandade de morue -especially as a kid- I didn’t really appeal to me. But when you take your first bite, you simply want more. Its the nicest combination of flavours that are quite hard to replicate. It doesn’t taste like any of the ingredients on their own, they all transform into a new one! And once you’ve tried it, you’ll completely understand why this cod potato bake is still made today.
Where brandade de morue comes from
Brandade is a Nîmes dish, and it came about out of pure practicality, not fancy cooking. Before refrigerators, the only way to preserve cod was to salt and dry it, which is what Atlantic and North Sea fishermen did. Breton fishermen from Saint-Malo would sail down to the salt flats at Aigues-Mortes near Nîmes to stock up on salt, and they’d trade their salted cod for it along the way. That’s how a northern Atlantic fish ended up becoming a speciality of a landlocked city in the south of France.
The first recorded reference to brandade appears in 1786, when someone in Nîmes had the idea of crushing salted cod with garlic, olive oil, and a little milk. The recipe that really made it famous though was that of the chef Charles Durand, who published it in 1830 and is credited with bringing it to Paris, where it caused quite a stir.
Alphonse Daudet, the Nîmes-born writer, became its unofficial ambassador in Paris, introducing it to his friends Zola and Flaubert and organising a regular “brandade dinner” where the dish was served alongside two speeches. Not everyone agreed on the recipe, Frédéric Mistral insisted on garlic, Daudet himself focused on the technique, but all of them agreed the brandade from Nîmes was something very special.
The chef Auguste Escoffier later included it in his famous Guide Culinaire, and from there it spread through French restaurants and into home kitchens.
The name tells you everything
The word brandade comes from the Occitan “brandar,” meaning to stir or shake vigorously, and that gesture necessary for this cod brandade. The cod is beaten with warm olive oil until it becomes a kind of white cream but still marked by the fibres of the fish. You build it like a mayonnaise, slowly, alternating oil and milk, and the emulsion that forms is what gives brandade its texture. So take a good moment and stir properly!
The traditional Nîmes recipe vs this cod potato bake
So the true traditional brandade de Nîmes actually contains no potatoes at all. It’s purely cod, olive oil, and milk. The version with potatoes is a later adaptation, more common in Paris and Lyon, and is what most people outside the south of France know as brandade. Both are good, and this recipe uses potato because it makes it hearty enough to serve as a proper main course rather than just a starter or spread.
This version also uses fresh cod rather than salt cod, which makes it much easier to pull together. Also it doesn’t need the soaking and you don’t have to plan two days ahead which makes it a lot easier in our modern life. The flavour is lighter and cleaner. The method stays the same either way: the cod is poached gently, then beaten with warm oil and garlic until it turns into that smooth emulsion.
The olive oil
The olive oil in this cod brandade is the backbone of the dish. It blends with the fish to create that smooth, creamy texture, and it carries most of the flavour alongside the garlic. In the south of France, people use oils with a grassy or slightly peppery taste that works beautifully with the salt in the fish and the warmth of the garlic like the La Tourangelle organic extra virgin olive oil which has a wonderful peppery flavour. A dull, flat oil makes a dull, flat brandade.
Warm the oil before you mix it in. Cold oil doesn’t emulsify properly and can make the mixture split instead of coming together into that silky paste the dish depends on.
How to bake your brandade with fresh cod
To bake a cod brandade, you’ll need a sturdy cast iron cocotte that spreads heat evenly as the cod poaches, which keeps it at a steady, gentle simmer instead of boiling in spots. The same dish goes under the grill for finishing, and the heat browns the top evenly without burning the edges while the centre stays pale. It also goes straight from oven to table, which feels right for a dish this honest and straightforward.
How to eat Brandade de Morue
In the south of France, brandade turns up in a few different ways depending on the occasion. As a spread on toasted baguette or bread rubbed with garlic, it’s perfect apéro food or starter. But you can aso choose to do it as a gratin, golden and bubbling on top with that soft creamy centre as a main course. I like both, the gratin in winter and the spread in summer!
If you’re serving it as a main, a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette alongside is really all you need. The acidity cuts through the richness of the olive oil and the cod really well. Some people add a few black olives on the side too, which is a very Provençal thing to do and works beautifully.
A squeeze of lemon at the table is always welcome. It lifts everything and brightens the flavour in a way that feels natural with fish.
For wine, a crisp dry white is the obvious choice and the right one. A Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc is the classic local pairing, its nervousness and acidity working really well against the richness of the cod and olive oil. If you can’t find it locally, a crisp white wine from Provence or a white Bordeaux works really well too.
Brandade is great to make-ahead. You can prepare it completely, spoon it into the gratin dish, and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before grilling it at the last minute. Just add a splash of warm milk and stir gently before it goes under the grill if it’s thickened up too much in the cold.
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 45 minutes 
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes 
Servings 4Description
Ingredients
- 500 gr cod
- 260 gr floury potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion
- 120 ml olive oil extra virgin
- 120 ml whole milk plus extra for a creamier finish
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley to garnish
- salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
1. Poach the Cod
- Lay the cod fillet in a saucepan with the bay leaf and onion halves, cover with cold water, and add a generous pinch of sea salt. Bring to a bare simmer, do not let it boil! and poach gently for 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the cod cool in its liquid for 5–10 minutes to keep things tender. Lift it out, drain, and flake thoroughly.
2. Prep the Potato
- Mash the warm potato well. Stir in the crushed garlic while the potato is still warm so it mellows.
3. Combine and Beat
- Combine the flaked cod and mashed potato in a saucepan over very low heat. Drizzle in half the warm olive oil and half the milk, then stir vigorously. Gradually add the rest of the oil and milk, tasting for seasoning as you go. Adjust with salt, white pepper, and a squeeze of lemon to bring the mousse to life.The texture should be creamy but still retain a bit of flake, it’s a rustic dish, not baby food.
4. Grill, Serve and Garnish
- Spoon the brandade into a suitable ovenproof dish, then place it under a hot grill for 3–5 minutes until the top is golden, bubbling, and deliciously crisp. This final step is crucial, it adds a beautiful texture contrast and that classic gratin finish. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
