Morue

Appears in

#57The Cooking of South West France
The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

  • About
In inland areas, far from the fresh fish markets along the coast of Southwest France, the only saltwater fish to be found in the past were slabs of cod, either salted or wind dried. At local grocery stores, beside the barrels of lentils, beans, and other staples were huge tubs where these slabs were piled up on Thursdays. The salt cod would be sold that day to be soaked at home under slowly dripping water for 24 hours so it would be ready for the traditional Friday lunch.

In the southern part of the Languedoc, the great salt cod dish is the famous brandade, made with olive oil, rich milk, and garlic all crushed together to produce a light, creamy substance. Just a bit farther north, in the Rouergue, they have a variation I like even better; it’s made with walnut oil, hard-boiled eggs, garlic, and herbs. In the Lot, you will find brandade prepared with potatoes and drizzled with fresh walnut oil. In Gascony, salt cod and beans is a dish to seek out, and in the Basque country, salt cod and hot peppers are delicious together.