Creamed Puree of Salt Cod

Puree of salt cod or brandade is what the legendary Henri Soule—of New York’s once famous Le Pavilion—thought “the epitome of culinary perfection.” His love for it must have come from his mother who lived in a village near Bayonne and served it with “sliced potatoes, vinegar, oil, garlic, and chopped parsley” (from On the Town in New York [1973] by the Batterberrys).

A passing glance at the Larousse gastronomique’s classic garnishes for this dis