The great Provençal classic served as a complete meal: poached desalted cod, separately cooked vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and a thick aïoli emulsified in a mortar with plenty of garlic and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 480 g skin-on salt cod
- 320 g waxy potatoes
- 160 g carrots
- 240 g fresh cauliflower
- 160 g fresh green beans
- 4 pieces fresh eggs for hard-boiling
- 1 piece fresh egg for the aïoli
- 6 cloves fresh garlic
- 220 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 2 pinches fine salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
Method
- The day before, carefully rinse the cod under cold water, then place it in a large container, skin-side up. Cover generously with cold water and let it desalt in the refrigerator, changing the water several times.
- The same day, taste a tiny fragment taken from the center of the flesh. The cod should remain slightly salty without being aggressive. Rinse it one last time, drain it, and remove any accessible bones without detaching the skin.
- Peel the potatoes and carrots. Leave the potatoes whole if they are small, otherwise cut them into large, even pieces. Cut the carrots into thick segments. Break the cauliflower into generous florets and trim the green beans.
- Place the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water. Gently bring to a simmer and cook until the tip of a knife easily pierces them without breaking them apart. Drain and keep them covered.
- Cook the carrots in simmering salted water until tender but still holding their shape. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Next, cook the cauliflower without letting it fall apart, then the green beans so they remain tender and still green. Drain each vegetable separately.
- Place the eggs for the garnish in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, cook until hard-boiled, then immediately cool them in cold water. Peel and halve them.
- Place the cod in a wide pot, cover with cold water, and add the bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Heat very gradually. As soon as the water simmers, turn off the heat, cover, and let the residual heat gently penetrate the flesh. Drain the cod when it turns opaque and flakes into large petals. Carefully remove the skin and any remaining bones.
- For the aïoli, peel the garlic cloves, halve them, and remove the germ. Pound them thoroughly in a mortar with the fine salt until you have a perfectly smooth paste with no chunks.
- Separate the egg for the aïoli and add the yolk to the garlic paste. Mix with the pestle, then incorporate the olive oil, initially drop by drop. When the emulsion forms, continue adding the oil in a very thin stream, stirring continuously in the same direction. The finished aïoli should be very thick, glossy, and firm enough to hold on the pestle.
- Harmoniously arrange the still-warm cod, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and egg halves on a large serving platter. Present the aïoli in a bowl in the center and serve immediately, allowing each guest to take a generous amount with every element.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 494.1 kcal
- Protein
- 40.93 g
- Carbohydrate
- 23.38 g
- Fat
- 27.09 g
- Fibre
- 4.9 g
- Calcium
- 214.95 mg
- Iron
- 4.12 mg
- Magnesium
- 130.72 mg
