Cabillaud Salé, or Morue à la Hollandaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) wide lidded sauté pan or shallow fish poacher
• •4-quart (4 L) saucepan for the potatoes
• •Small saucepan for melting the butter
• •Wide fish spatula
• •Clean lint-free kitchen towel
• •Warmed oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Desalt the cod

   Rinse the salt cod under cold running water, then place it in a nonreactive bowl and cover it generously with fresh cold water. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water every 6 hours. After 24 hours, cut a small flake from the thickest piece, simmer it in plain water for one minute, and taste it. It should be pleasantly seasoned, not aggressively salty. If the salt still stings, return the cod to fresh water for another 2 to 4 hours and test again. Drain and pat the pieces dry.

2. 2

   Ready parsley and potatoes

   Wash the parsley in cold water, dry it thoroughly, and leave it in generous sprigs. Keep it cool so it remains very green. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover them by 1 inch with about 8 cups (1.9 L / 1.9 kg) cold water, and add 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g) of the salt. Arrange the cod in a single layer in a wide lidded sauté pan and cover it by 1 inch with the remaining cold water. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) salt only if the test flake was fully desalted.

3. 3

   Boil the potatoes

   Bring the potatoes to a controlled boil, then lower the heat and cook them at a steady simmer for 18 to 22 minutes. A knife should pass through without finding a hard core, but the pieces must still hold themselves together. Begin heating the cod as soon as the potatoes settle into their simmer so both arrive freshly done.

4. 4

   Poach at a tremble

   Apply the method of Sole à la Hollandaise (No. 829): bring the cod and its cold water slowly toward a boil. The moment the first full bubble breaks, lower the heat, cover the pan, and poach gently for 10 minutes. The water should barely move. If it begins to boil hard, slide the pan off the burner, uncover it, and add ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) cold water from the measured cooking water before returning it to the lowest heat. Ça se rattrape. The cod is ready when its thickest part is opaque, reaches 145°F (63°C), and separates into broad, moist leaves under light pressure.

5. 5

   Drain and dish

   Drain the potatoes thoroughly, return them to their hot pan for 30 seconds, and shake once so their surfaces dry and turn softly floury. Cover them off the heat. Lift the cod carefully with a fish spatula and rest it on a clean lint-free towel for 30 seconds, just long enough to catch the poaching water. Transfer it to a warmed oval platter and arrange the very green parsley generously all around.

6. 6

   Melt butter and serve

   Melt the butter over gentle heat until completely fluid, golden, and glossy, without letting it brown. Pour it into a warmed sauceboat. Bring the cod, plainly boiled potatoes, and melted butter to the table together, exactly as the entry intends. This is melted butter, not Sauce Hollandaise; the name carries a different service here. Spoon it generously over fish and potatoes. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy true dry-cured salt cod in thick center-cut pieces. Thin tail pieces desalinate and cook too quickly, leaving you with uneven salt and ragged flakes.
• •Never judge desalting by time alone. Thickness, curing, and the producer all matter, so simmer and taste a small flake. If it's still harsh, more cold water and a few hours will put it right.
• •Choose a floury potato such as a russet, Maris Piper, or Bintje. Keep the pieces large and evenly sized so they grow tender without collapsing into the cooking water.
• •The parsley is served in generous sprigs, not chopped into a token sprinkle. Wash it early enough to dry completely, then keep it cool until the platter is ready.
• •A dry Muscadet suits the salt cod and butter beautifully. Keep it cool, not numbingly cold, and put bread on the table for the butter left on the plate.

Advance Preparation

• •Begin desalting the cod 24 to 36 hours before supper, changing the water every 6 hours. Once properly desalted, drain it well and cook it within 24 hours.
• •The parsley can be washed and dried earlier in the day. Wrap it loosely in a barely damp towel and refrigerate it so the leaves remain vivid and firm.
• •The potatoes may be peeled and cut up to 4 hours ahead, then kept submerged in cold water. Drain them and begin again with fresh water before boiling.
• •Do not poach the cod ahead. Its broad flakes are most succulent when it goes directly from the poaching pan to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 490g)