Brandade de Morue

Salt cod, not hard, dried stockfish, should be used for brandade. The cod must be gently poached, never boiled, otherwise it turns stringy. Oil and hot milk are beaten in slowly to form a light smooth emulsion. The controversial ingredient is garlic; poet Frédéric Mistral said that crushed garlic is permissible, but most cooks prefer just to rub the bowl with the cut clove. In the opinion of some gastronomes of Nîmes, to add any garlic at all is sacrilege.