Bûche de Noël (Christmas Chestnut Log)

My daughter made this buche for Christmas. The cake recipe is based on a recipe from America's Test Kitchen and the chestnut cream is a family classic. I helped her with advice on rolling, filling and decorating it.

Ingredients

Cake
5 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 by 16 inch baking sheet
Oil for the baking sheet
1 sheet of parchment paper
1 clean towel slightly bigger than the baking sheet
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Chestnut Cream Filling
1 can chestnut puree
¼ cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Topping
7 ounces semisweet chocolate in small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the baking sheet with oil and cover with the parchment paper. In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale yellow, 8 to 10 minutes. I used the flat beater on my mixer.
2. Sift the flour in a big bowl, add the baking powder, salt and mix. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture folding delicately, until well combined.
3. Spread the batter evenly in the baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet on the counter to remove any bubble. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when pressed, around 15 minutes.
4. Dust the towel with confectioners' sugar. Use a small paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and invert the warm cake onto the towel. Gently remove the paper. Cut any stiff edges if necessary. Starting at a short end, carefully roll the cake and towel into a log. Cool at least 30 minutes.
5. Filling : in a saucepan, heat the chestnut puree, sugar, vanilla and cream on medium-low heat. Beat until smooth.
6. Gently unroll the cake, and spread the chestnut cream leaving 1 inch from the edge. Re- roll up the cake. Place the cake on a serving plate to decorate.
Don’t freak out if the cake cracks here and there, the topping will do a good job of sealing and hiding it.
Tip: Put parchment paper around the cake. This will keep the plate clean while you're frosting. You can see how we did it in the image below.





7. Topping : heat the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl over a saucepan filled of simmering water (to make a double boiler). Keep the sauce pan over low heat to melt the chocolate, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat, add the cream and rum. Stir until smooth. Spread the chocolate topping over the cake. Let it set for 2 minutes.
8. Use a fork to make ridges in the frosting to imitate a tree bark.






9. Decorate with whipped cream and fruits.

Tips:

• Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become too dry, or it will be hard to roll.
• If you let the chocolate topping cool down too much it will set up, so frost your cake while it is still liquid or reheat before using.

Onion and Cheese Quiche

This quiche is always a big hit at home. This year I doubled the recipe to make two of them: one for the Christmas potluck lunch at the office and one for the family.

You will notice, I use margarine instead of just butter. I find that it makes the crust more flaky.I like to pre-bake the crust to avoid sogginess. Depending on my mood and the time I have, I use one or the other method described in the Tips below. 

Timing wise: the onions take 45-50 minutes to caramelize (on medium-low ) so I suggest that you start with the dough and cook the onions while the dough is resting in the fridge.

Ingredients
Dough :
2 cups flour
½ cup butter (softened)
3 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons water

Filling:
4 eggs
4 big onions
1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere, Swiss cheese, Jarlsberg)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Nutmeg to taste (1 or 2 pinch)
Salt,pepper

11 in (27 cm) pie pan.

Directions
Prepare the crust

1. Combine the flour, salt, butter and margarine to obtain something like a coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the water, one tablespoon at a time and mix just enough for the mixture to hold together and turn into a smooth dough. Add more water if needed.
2. Form a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Cooking the onions

1. Peel and slice the onions.
2. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook slowly uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent around 30-40 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, stir and cook another 15 minutes until the onions are slightly caramelized. The sugar helps caramelize the onions.
   

Assembling and baking the quiche

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200 C), with the rack in the middle position.
2. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll out and transfer to the pan pressing up the sides. See notes below.
3. Bake the shell for 15 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and cream. Stir in the grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put aside half of this mixture for the top.
5. Mix the other half with the onions and spread on the partially baked crust.
6. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the onions to form a nice golden top.
7. Bake until the quiche has puffed and is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Tips on pre-baking the crust:
(1) A quick method is to prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 15 minutes. The crust might be a little bit bumpy.
(2) If you want to be sure your crust is even, line it with foil and pour around 2 cups of dried beans to weight it down. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, and prick the crust with a fork to let any air bubble escape. Bake another 3-5 minutes.

Pandoro

Every year I have a list of recipes to make during the holiday season. Last year when Simonetta Held posted the Pandoro Sfogliaro on Google+, I promised I would try it. So I did and it came out almost perfect. I made it again this year and it came up more beautiful, very light and delicate.

I started prepping the day before and left it to rise all night. In the morning the size had tripled! It was more than ready to go into the oven.

The Pandoro is baked in a star-shaped but you can use any mold as long as it is deep enough.

The final step is very similar to making puff pastry. The Pandoro takes more time and more patience to make than the Panettone, but it was definitely worth it.

In the end it doesn't have the traditional look, but the taste is almost perfect.

You will find a lot of tips at Simonetta's blog.


Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 + 1/2 teaspoons of instant dry yeast
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 eggs + 1 yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zeste of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons water

Tools
Mold: 7.5in diameter x 4in high
A rolling pin.
A stand up mixer or food processor

Directions

.Step 1: the starter - 11am

1. Mix 1/3 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of instant yeast.
2. Add the brown sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Mix very well then place to rise until doubled (50-60 minutes).

Step 2: Dough #1 - 1pm

For this step you will need the following out of the ingredient list above:

1+ 1/3 cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter softened
2 teaspoons of luke warm water
1 egg + 1 egg yolk

I use a KitchenAid stand mixer for all my breads and brioches, it helps a lot. If you don’t have a similar appliance, it will take a little bit more time and muscles!

1. Mix the yeast with the flour and add to your starter.
2. Beat the sugar, egg and egg yolk and water in a bowl. Gradually add to your starter and flour. Combine well.
3. Add the butter one small piece at a time. Knead until everything is well blended and smooth.
4. Cover and let it rise until it doubles in size.

Step 3: Dough #2 - 4pm

For this step you will need the following out of the ingredient list above:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup butter softened

1. Beat the sugar, egg, salt and zest in a bowl and add to the first dough.
2. Add the flour.
3. Knead until everything is well blended and smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add one or two tablespoons of flour (one at a time). I knead it 15 minutes. Put in a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise until it doubles in size.
4. Mix the butter and the vanilla together. If the butter is not soft enough, put it few seconds in the microwave. Leave it at room temperature until it is used in the next step.

Step 4: Puff pastry steps - 7pm

For this step you will need the mix of butter and vanilla and a rolling pin.

1. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape around 1-1.5 inches thick.
2. Distribute the cold butter over in small pieces.
3. Fold the top third of the rectangle down over the dough.
4. Seal the seams by pinching the dough in order to trap the butter inside.
5. Chill 20-25 minutes in the fridge.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 three times.
7. Butter and dust your Pandoro mold with flour.
8. Form a ball with the dough and transfer to the mold, smooth side part at the bottom.
9. Cover and let rise until the size doubles or triples.
10. Transfer to the mold and let it rise. Again I put it in the oven with the light on. It should reach the edge of the mold.

I left it over night with a temperature of 67-68 DegF (19 DegC), but if it’s in a warm corner, 2-3 hours may be enough.

Step 5: Baking- Next day 8am

1. Pre-heat the oven at 375 DegF.
2. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350 DegF and cook until golden brown (about 30 minutes). Check doneness with a skewer.
3. Let it cool before unmolding it. Transfer to a plate and dust the surface with sifted icing sugar to decorate.

Tips

Make sure the butter is not too soft and refrigerate the dough in step 4 as instructed. If it's not cold enough and the butter is too soft, you will have a hard time folding the dough.

The picture below is my first trial, it was very good but it needed another 10 minutes in the oven to hold itself correctly. I left it to rise overnight in the oven, no draft.
.

Note: I started it around 11:00 in the morning and finished around 8:00 pm, most of it being waiting time.

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Raspberry Sauce

I looked at various bundt cake recipes and then I came up with my own based on what I had in my cupboard. The result was surprisingly good in my daughter's own words: the right amount of chocolate and super moist. She wanted the recipe to make one for the office xmas potluck. I simply served it with a homemade raspberry sauce. I had frozen juice made from my garden's berries, so I just heated it and stirred in 2 teaspoons cornstarch, et voila!

Ingredients
10 squares unsweetened chocolate (10 oz)
¾ cup butter (1.5 stick)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs (yolk and white separated)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup rum


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Butter and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
4. Place the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with a little of water (to make a double boiler). Heat the sauce pan over low heat to melt the chocolate, stirring from time to time. Let it cool.
5. While beating, add the mayonnaise, sugar, vanilla, egg yolks and rum.
6. Gradually add flour mixture alternating with the milk.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks then gently fold them into the batter mixture.
8. Pour into the pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 F then lower the heat to 350 F (165 degrees C) and bake for a total of 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
9. Let cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Serve with raspberry sauce or chocolate sauce. You can also just dust with sugar and serve.

Quince Jam and Marmalade

Quince are very rare to find in Montreal and when they are, usually they are expensive. It's basically more cost effective to buy already made jam. But, once a year I like to make homemade jam, marmalade or paste. I have already posted the recipe for quince paste last year.

In this recipe I am using 2/3 of the sugar called for in the original recipe. Two reasons for that: first I know it will not last (sugar acts as a preservative, so a high sugar jam will last longer) and second I am trying to cut the amount of sugar we eat for health reasons.

I used the same proportions for both jam and marmalade. Once the fruit was cooked, I blended half in Marmalade and left the other half in pieces.

Ingredients
6 small quinces (around 2.2 lb)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups water
1 lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine the water and lemon juice in a large pot.
2. Peel and cut the quince in small pieces and place directly in the pot.
3. Add sugar and bring to a boil (the quince should be covered with water). Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the fruit is soft, about 40 minutes.
4. Blend the quince, if desired, and pour it still hot into sterilized jars.

Note: I left half of the quince in pieces and blended the other half.

Green Tomato Jam

The Joy of gardening in Canada!
Even if the calendar says it is spring, you cannot seed or plant yet.
The growing season (the number of days between the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall- time for plants to grow from seed to maturity) in a cold climate won’t begin until end of May, when the risk of frost is completely gone.
In February-March there is a lot of excitement around garden planning and even starting seeds inside. And then the waiting begins.

Basically there are just 3.5 months of « safe gardening » June, July, September and the first 2 weeks of October. And then the inevitable occurs : you wake up one morning just to find your plant leaves half burnt from an early freeze.
How frustrating ! Your vegetable leaves are all withered. The beautiful tomatoes that you just starting enjoying, the butternut squashes, your pride hanging naked now that their huge leaves are withered. I will not list all of them.

So you have to pay attention to frost warning issued by the weather forecast and harvest everything that’s ready or almost. I used to let green tomatoes continue to ripen on the counter but most of them were damaged after few days before ripening.
And then I remembered that my mother used to make ripe tomato jam, which I hated! I thought I should try it with green tomatoes and maybe just maybe my family will like it.

Guess what? I like it more than they do! The longer it cooks the better it gets. Actually it tastes very much like fig jam. If you try it let me know if you agree.

Ingredients
2.2 lb green tomatoes washed and cut into small pieces
1.1 lb sugar



Directions

1. In a large pot, mix the tomatoes and the sugar, cover and let stand few hours or overnight in the fridge. The tomatoes will release their juice.





2. Bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. When the liquid reaches the boiling point lower the heat to medium-low. Cook around 45 minutes or until the jam takes a slightly amber color.
3. Fill the jars while jam is still hot, so you will not need to sterilize.
4. Wipe the rim clean and seal.

Apple and Prune Crumble

This is my favorite dessert: very quick and easy to make and it's always a hit with my family. Feel free to substitute the type of apples and the flavor to match what you have at hand.

Ingredients
6 prunes cut in 4
6 apples (such as Cortland, Golden delicious)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar + 2 Tbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
11-by-8 inch baking dish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly coat the baking dish with butter.
3. Mix the oats, flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter in pieces and blend in with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs.
4. Peel, core and slice the apples approximately 1/4inch thick. Place directly in the baking dish. Add the prunes, 2 tablespoons sugar , the ginger, the cream and toss to coat.
5. Top evenly with the crumble mix.
6. Bake until golden and bubbly 40- 45 minutes.

Almond Sugar Coated Crescents

This is another delicious traditional Algerian cookie. They are melt-in-your mouth, shortbread-like cookies flavored with orange blossom water. These are my long time favorite. I wonder why I don't make them more often!
Not only they are delicious but while you are making them the whole house smells amazing with the fragrance of orange flower. To me this is the best scent in the world!
You may shape them as doughnuts or crescents, which I find easier.
They can be stored for few weeks in a well sealed container.

Ingredients
For the cookie dough
1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup butter softened
1 tablespoon shortening
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons orange blossom water

For the stuffing
1 cup almond meal
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange blossom water

For the icing
1/3 cup orange blossom water
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions
Prepare the cookie dough and the almond stuffing

1. Mix all the ingredients of the stuffing together in a small bowl.
2. Combine together the flour and baking powder in a bigger bowl.
3. Make a well and add the sugar, egg, butter and shortening. Mix well, then gradually incorporate the flour. The dough should be soft but hold together. If it’s too hard, add 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water at a time. Form a ball and let it rest. I put it to chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Make and bake the crescents

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment.
3. Roll out cookie dough on a lightly floured working surface approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inches round cutter ( if you don’t have any, you can use a glass.)
4. Place about 1 teaspoon of the stuffing in the center of each circle and fold in two.
5. 
   



6. Pinch the edges and shape into crescents.





7. Place on baking sheet about 1 inch apart.





8. Bake 15-18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Let cool completely.

Icing the crescents

1. Prepare three bowls that are wide enough to dip the cookies easily.
2. Pour the orange blossom water in bowl #1. Sift half the confectioner’s sugar into bowls #2 and the other half in bowl #3. This is because the first sugar bowl will get lumpy after the first dipping. To have a nice white finish, you have to dip it into a dry batch.
3. Lightly dip each cookie in the orange blossom water (#1) then toss into the icing sugar (#2). Coat well and pat to remove the excess.
4. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat the operation for all the cookies.
5. Coat a second time with the icing sugar in bowl #3 to get a nice snow white color.
6. Place on the cookie sheet and let dry.

Finally enjoy!

Tips

1. The use of shortening makes the dough easier to work with and results in a more melt-in-the mouth cookie.
2. Orange blossom water also called orange flower water is used in many Mediterranean dessert dishes. You can find it at Middle Eastern grocery store. Some local grocery stores carry it in the cakes and baking section. It is very affordable and can be stored for months.

Mango Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my favorite cake. My daughter knows it very well so she made this one for my birthday. She is an excellent cook, but she is at her infancy when it comes to baking. I was taken by surprise when she came home with this beautiful cake. To my delight, this was one of the best cheesecake I have ever had, smooth, slightly tangy and thick like a true New York cheese cake! She gladly offered to share her recipe.

Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cups Graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
5 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

Filling
2 pounds cream cheese cut in chunks
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup heavy cream
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime

Topping
1 cup mango chunks
½ cup mango juice
3 Tbsp sugar
Juice of ½ lime
¼ cup water
1 pack of gelatin (1 tbsp)

9 Inch springform pan

Directions
The cake is baked in bain-marie (double boiler). Here is how to prepare: wrap the springform pan in an aluminum foil sheet large enough to cover the bottom and the edges to avoid any water leaking into the cake.

Prepare the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and the melted butter together. Put in the bottom of the springform pan. Press with your fingers to have an even layer while shaping a small edge inside the pan.
3. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a mixer with the flat beater attachment :

1. Beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy, scraping down the edge of the bowl every couple of minutes. This step is very important. That’s what make your cake light and fluffy.
2. Add the sugar and beat for a couple extra minutes until the mixture becomes frothy.
3. Add the lime juice and zest.
4. Add eggs, one at a time making sure they are fully incorporated before adding the next one.
5. Add the sour cream and beat.
6. Add the heavy cream.
7. Beat for a couple more minutes until the cheese mixture is soft and light.
8. Pour batter into prepared pre-cooked crust.
9. Place the pan into a larger cake pan or roasting pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the side of the springform pan.
10. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 ¼ hour to 1 ½ hour or until the edge is set but the centre still jiggles slightly. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from water, cover and refrigerate for few hours or overnight.

To Make the topping:

1. Blend mango chunks into a pulp.
2. Add mango juice, lime juice and sugar and mix.
3. In a separate bowl heat the water and mix in the gelatin until fully dissolved.
4. Add the liquid gelatin into the mango mixture and stir.
5. If needed add more water until you have 1 ¾ cups of mango jelly mix.
6. Put in the freezer and turn with a spoon every 5 minutes until gelatin starts setting (this is so the mango topping doesn’t drip off the sides of the cheesecake.)
7. Stick a parchment paper all the way around the cheesecake to make a "mould" for the jelly.
8. Pour the mango topping over the cheesecake and immediately put in the fridge.
9. After a couple of hours, it’s safe to remove the parchment paper.

Finally enjoy a piece!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is my first attempt at cupcakes. My daughter has been asking me to make some for months. I was rather intrigued by the Red Velvet cake, so I decided to combine both. Most Red Velvet recipes call for food coloring, which I wasn't very keen on, so I used beets and beet juice. As you will see, I didn't use enough of it. The batter had a beautiful dark pink color. However once cooked, it turned to a rather brownish color. I was a bit disappointed. Next time I will use more beet juice!

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup beet juice and 1/4 cup beet puree
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting
1/3 cup icing sugar sifted
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
Dash vanilla (or your favorite flavor)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F;
2. Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Put aside.

3. In a second bowl beat the butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time still beating, then the vanilla and the beets. You should have a very nice color.


5. Add the dry ingredients then the buttermilk and mix until combined.

6. Line up a muffin pan with paper liners. Scoop the batter into the liners.
7. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let them cool completely on a rack before putting any frosting.

Look at the nice color they have:



9. To Make Frosting: whip the cream and sugar just until stiff peaks form.
10. Decorate the cooled cupcakes with the cream and sprinkles.

Orange-Moka Brownies

This chocolate brownie, not too sweet, not too rich, and orange-coffee flavored is perfect for Valentine's or any occasion. Enjoy it for breakfast with Nutella spread. Yummy!
Oranges are so good this year, I am flavoring all my desserts with oranges. This is a quick and easy brownie recipe with a simple frosting to make when you're in a hurry.

Ingredients
5 square unsweetened melted chocolate (5 oz)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons hot water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 orange juice (1/2 cup) and zest (around 1 tablespoon)
4 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Icing
7 squares plain chocolate
1/2 cup icing sugar sifted
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F;
2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate squares over low heat stirring from time to time. Let it cool
3. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water.
4. Butter and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan.
5. Beat the sugar, oil and zest with a mixer. Add the melted chocolate and coffee. Mix well.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is creamy and about double its initial size.
7. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture delicately.
8. Pour into the pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. The top of the cake forms a crust. Leave it in the pan until completely cool.
9. To Make Frosting: heat the chocolate squares, icing sugar and cream in a saucepan over low heat stirring from time to time until the chocolate melts. Whisk to get a smooth mixture. Let it cool until it starts to thicken.
10. Cut your brownies and add the frosting.
11. Decorate with sprinkles.

Salted Cod with Coconut Cream

Bacalhau is the Portuguese name for cod and refers to dried and salted cod. It is Portugal national dish.
Salting and drying meat and fish was the only method of preserving meat and fish until the artificial refrigeration began somewhere in the 19th century!

For a long time cod was caught exclusively off the shores of Newfoundland (North Atlantic coast) mainly by Portuguese, but also Spanish and Basque fishermen. It was widely available and affordable until the collapse of the cod stocks. The fish was salted and sun-dried ashore and was part of the basic Mediterranean diet. Before the advent of supermarkets you could see dried cods hanging by the tail in front of each grocery store.
Children loved to tear up pieces and eat them!
As you can imagine every country around the Mediterranean has more than one recipe to prepare the salted cod.

I have created my own baked recipe inspired by the Portuguese Bacalhau com Natas (Salted Cod with Cream.) It is a simplified version made with coconut milk and cream instead of dairy cream. If you're dairy-intolerant, this is an excellent alternative to cows' milk with the addition of the coconut's subtle sweetness.
It is very easy to make and the result is absolutely exquisite!

If you have never cooked Salted Cod, this is a simple and good recipe for a first try. I hope you will like it as much as I do!

Ingredients
1 pound salt cod fillets
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and and sliced (I used Yukon Gold)
1 can (14 fl oz.) coconut cream
1 cup coconut milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups grated cheese (I used Jarlsberg)
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Soak the salted cod fillets in water for 24 hours, changing water 2 or 3 times (rinse well and drain every time.) Keep the cod in the fridge.



2. Parboil the cod for 5 minutes in water. Drain and let cool.
3. In the meantime, peel, slice and parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degF.
5. Flake the fillets into small pieces, removing any bones and skin. Feel for the bones using your hands. Set aside.
6. Butter an ovenproof dish generously. Layer half of the potatoes over the bottom. Top with the shredded cod evenly and add the remaining potatoes. Dont' worry if the potato slices break up. It won't affect the taste or the final look of the dish.



7. Pour the coconut cream and milk over the potatoes distributing it evenly. It should almost cover the top layer of potatoes; Add more if necessary.
8. Dot with pieces of butter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
9. Take out of the oven, sprinkle the grated cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until it is slightly golden. After that time, if it hasn't browned, turn on the broil and grill for 5-8 minutes, keeping an eye in the oven to avoid burning it.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!

Tips

1. You should not need to add any salt to this dish. However, I suggest that you taste the cod and adjust the salt accordingly.
2. You can use any cheese : Cheddar, Swiss, Emmenthal, Gruyere.
3. You can substitute coconut cream for coconut milk. It will be slightly less rich tasting and have less fat.
4. As far as buying coconut milk, I personally like to buy organic coconut cream and milk.
5. You can use olive oil instead of butter.