What is a brandada burrata

What is a cod brandade burrata?

If you know Italian burrata, you know the concept: a firm outer shell that, when cut, reveals a creamy interior that spills onto the plate. Now imagine that made entirely with cod.

The cod brandade burrata replaces mozzarella with an elastic mass of hot-worked brandade (leek, potato, cream, and desalted cod emulsified until pliable), and the stracciatella filling with cod liver confit in smoked oil, shredded into creamy strands. The result is a pearly white sphere that, when opened, releases a torrent of marine umami.

The natural accompaniment is a codium pil pil: a sauce emulsified with the gelatin from cod skins, flavored with codium (a seaweed that tastes of the sea without being aggressive). Around it, crunchy samphire, rock samphire, and edible flowers add color, texture, and a natural saline note.

It’s a Michelin-star restaurant dish, but perfectly doable at home if you follow the steps patiently. I’ve served it at private dinners, and the effect is always the same: silence, then questions.

Complete Ingredients (4 servings)

For the Brandade (wrapper)

• 400g desalted cod (thick loin, good gelatin)
• 1 leek (white part only)
• 200g potato (floury variety: Kennebec or Monalisa)
• 100ml liquid cream 35% fat
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil (mild, Arbequina)
• 1 clove garlic
• White pepper

For the Confit Liver (filling)

• 150g cod liver (canned or fresh)
• 100ml smoked olive oil (or regular oil + 1 tsp smoked salt)
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf

For the Codium Pil Pil

• Cod skins (from the loin, set aside)
• 150ml mild olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 dried chili pepper
• 10g fresh codium (or 3g rehydrated dried codium)
• 50ml cod cooking broth

For plating

• Fresh samphire (a handful)
• Rock samphire (a few sprigs)
• Edible flowers (pansies, borage flowers, or nasturtium)
• Maldon sea salt flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil for finishing

Step 1: The Brandade (burrata base)

This is not a conventional brandade. We need a mass with more body than the classic, capable of wrapping itself without breaking. Potato and cream are essential here.

Prepare the bases (20 minutes)

1. Boil the potato whole with skin in salted water for 20-25 minutes until tender. Peel while hot and pass through a potato ricer (never a blender: it creates sticky starch).
2. Boil the leek in the same water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and blend finely.
3. Confit the cod: place the loins in a saucepan with oil at 65 °C for 12-15 minutes. Reserve the oil. Remove skins (for the pil pil) and bones. Flake finely with a fork.

Emulsify the brandade (10 minutes)

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, place the mashed potato and blended leek. Mix well.
2. Add the flaked cod and work with a wooden spatula.
3. Incorporate the hot cream in three batches, mixing vigorously between each.
4. Gradually add the confit oil (strained), as if making mayonnaise, continuously stirring.
5. Adjust white pepper. Salt is usually not needed (the cod is already salty).
6. The result should be a compact but moldable mass, like soft modeling clay. If it’s too liquid, cook 2-3 more minutes over low heat to evaporate moisture.

Critical point: the brandade should be able to hold its bowl shape when cooled. Test by taking a spoonful and shaping it with lightly oiled hands. If it holds, it's ready. If it slips, it needs more time on the heat.

Step 2: Cod Liver Confit in Smoked Oil

Cod liver is the hidden gem of cod. In Nordic countries, it's a delicacy; here, it goes unnoticed. It has a buttery texture and an intense sea flavor that pairs perfectly with the smokiness.

Preparation (15 minutes + 2 hours rest)

1. If using canned liver: drain it from its original oil. If using fresh: carefully clean membranes and veins.
2. Place the liver in a small saucepan. Cover with smoked oil, add thyme and bay leaf.
3. Bring to 60 °C and maintain this temperature for 10 minutes. Do not exceed 65 °C or the liver will become grainy.
4. Remove from heat and let cool in the oil in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (ideal: overnight).
5. Before using, remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes in advance. Gently flake with a fork: it should be in creamy strands, not a purée.

The resulting smoked oil is liquid gold. Reserve it for drizzling at the end.

Step 3: Codium Pil Pil with Cod Skins

Classic pil pil uses cod gelatin to emulsify oil and broth. Here, we add codium, a green seaweed with an elegant, iodized flavor (without the aggressiveness of nori or kombu) and an intense green color that contrasts with the white of the burrata.

Preparation (25 minutes)

1. Extract gelatin from the skins: place cod skins in a pan with cold oil. Bring to 60-70 °C over very low heat and maintain for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The skins will release gelatin into the oil. Remove the skins.
2. Infuse the garlic: slice the garlic and gently brown it in the oil with gelatin. Add the chili in pieces. Remove when the garlic is light golden.
3. Emulsify: off the heat, gradually add the cod cooking broth while swirling the pan in circles. The gelatin from the oil will bind with the broth, creating the pil pil sauce.
4. Add the codium: blend the fresh codium with 2 tablespoons of the pil pil sauce and add it to the mixture. Mix well. The sauce will be pale green with darker specks.
5. Strain if you want a smooth sauce, or leave it rustic with visible seaweed pieces.

Note on codium: if you can't find fresh codium, dried works well. Rehydrate it in cold water 15 minutes beforehand. You can also substitute it with sea lettuce, although the flavor profile changes slightly.

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Step 4: Assembling the Burrata

This is the moment of truth. You need to work with warm brandade (not cold, which cracks; not hot, which doesn't hold). The ideal temperature is 35-40 °C.

Step-by-step assembly

1. Oil your hands generously with olive oil.
2. Take a portion of brandade (about 120g per person) and flatten it in your palm to form a disc about 12 cm in diameter and half a centimeter thick.
3. Place the filling: put 2-3 tablespoons of flaked cod liver in the center of the disc.
4. Close the burrata: lift the edges of the disc upwards, pinching to seal. Turn the sphere so the seam is at the bottom. Gently shape with oiled hands until a rounded shape is achieved.
5. Repeat with the remaining portions.
6. Rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator on an oiled plate. This helps the shape set without the brandade becoming too hard.

Professional tip: if the brandade cracks when closing, slightly warm your hands under hot water and rework the sphere. Temperature is the key to plasticity.

Step 5: Plating and Garnishes

Plating is what turns this dish into a restaurant-quality dish. The nuances of flavor and texture come from the garnishes.

Plating components

1. Plate base: pour 3-4 tablespoons of warm codium pil pil to form a green mirror in the center of the deep plate.
2. Place the burrata in the center. Make a cross cut on the top with a sharp knife. The burrata will open slightly, and the liver will peek out.
3. Samphire: blanch for 30 seconds in boiling water, chill in ice. Place a few stems around the burrata. They add a salty crunch.
4. Rock samphire: a few fresh leaves (uncooked) on top of the burrata. Subtle anise aroma.
5. Edible flowers: 2-3 small flowers distributed. They are not just empty decoration: pansies have a herbaceous note, borage tastes like cucumber, and nasturtium has a delicate spiciness.
6. Finish with a drizzle of smoked oil (from the confit liver), a few Maldon salt flakes, and a touch of freshly ground black pepper.

Thermomix Version

The Thermomix greatly simplifies the brandade and allows for precise temperature control for the confit. Here are the adaptations.

Brandade in Thermomix

1. Cook potato and leek: chop and place in the bowl with 500 ml of water. Program 20 min / 100 °C / speed 1. Drain with the basket.
2. Blend the base: return potato and leek to the bowl. Program 15 sec / speed 5-7 until a fine purée is obtained.
3. Add the flaked cod (confit separately or poached). Program 10 sec / speed 3 with reverse rotation to avoid over-blending.
4. Emulsify: with the Thermomix at speed 3-4, add the hot cream and oil through the opening in a continuous stream for 1-2 minutes.
5. Adjust consistency: if it's liquid, program 3 min / 90 °C / speed 2 to evaporate.

Confit Liver in Thermomix

1. Place liver, smoked oil, thyme, and bay leaf in the bowl.
2. Program 10 min / 60 °C / speed 1.
3. Pour into a container and let cool in the refrigerator.

Codium Pil Pil in Thermomix

1. Skins + oil in the bowl: 12 min / 65 °C / speed 1. Remove skins with a spatula.
2. Sliced garlic + chili: 5 min / Varoma / speed 1. Remove.
3. With butterfly whisk in place, speed 3, add broth through the opening gradually for 2 minutes.
4. Add blended codium. 10 sec / speed 4.

Professional Tips

• Prepare components separately the day before: brandade, confit liver, and pil pil can be made the day before. Only the burrata assembly and plating should be done at the moment.
• The wrapper/filling ratio is 3:1: for every 120g of brandade, about 40g of liver. More filling and the burrata breaks; less and it loses the surprise effect.
• Serving temperature: the burrata should be warm (30-35 °C). Cold, it loses creaminess and the pil pil breaks. Hot, and the shape melts.
• If you can't find cod liver: you can substitute it with a mixture of extra-fine flaked cod with a generous splash of smoked oil and a few drops of soy sauce. It's not the same, but the concept works.
• Dairy-free variant: substitute cream with thick coconut milk. The flavor changes slightly, but the texture remains.

Wine Pairing

A dish of this complexity needs a wine that complements without competing.

• First choice: Albariño aged on lees (Rías Baixas). The wine's salinity connects with the samphire and codium.
• Champagne Blanc de Blancs: the acidity and bubbles cut through the richness of the brandade. Works especially well if the dish is a starter for a dinner.
• Txakoli: if you prefer something lighter and more acidic. The sparkling touch cleanses the palate between bites.
• Beer: a Belgian witbier (with coriander and orange) works surprisingly well with the smoked nuances of the liver.

Frequently Asked Questions