Cod Brandade Sphere: Recipe by Ada Parellada

Ada Parellada and the reinvention of brandade

Ada Parellada is one of the most influential figures in contemporary Catalan cuisine. From her Semproniana restaurant in Barcelona, she has been demonstrating for decades that traditional Catalan cuisine can evolve without losing its essence. Her philosophy is clear: respect the product, simplify the technique, and surprise with the format.

This recipe for cod brandade spheres is a perfect example of her style. Cod brandade — that classic emulsion of cod, olive oil, garlic, and potato — is a pillar of Mediterranean cuisine with centuries of history. Ada Parellada takes it as a base and transforms it into a finger food bite that combines crunchy, creamy, and crispy textures in every mouthful.

The genius of this recipe lies in the use of panipuri, that hollow sphere of crispy dough typical of Indian cuisine, as a container. It is a bridge between two culinary cultures that works perfectly: the delicacy of Catalan brandade finds an wrapper in panipuri that provides textural contrast without competing in flavor.

As Ada Parellada herself says: "Put these spheres on the table and they will disappear in minutes. They are the perfect informal appetizer." And she is right. They are addictive, effortlessly elegant, and can be prepared in just 20 minutes if you have the ingredients ready.

At Bacalalo, we have been working with premium Icelandic cod since 1990 at the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona. We know the texture and flavor that good cod brings to brandade, and we know that the difference between a good and an exceptional brandade always starts with the raw material.

Ingredients for the brandade spheres

For 4 people (12 spheres) — Time: 20 minutes — Difficulty: Easy

For the cod brandade

• 200 g desalted cod (preferably loin or cheek)
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 50 ml mild olive oil
• 80 g liquid cream (35% fat)
• 100 g cooked potato
• Salt to taste

For the herb mayonnaise

• 200 g mayonnaise (homemade or good quality)
• Fresh parsley, a generous handful
• Fresh basil, a few leaves
• Fresh thyme
• Dried oregano
• Fresh sage, a few leaves
• Fresh chives, a small bunch

For assembly

• 12 panipuris (available at Asian food stores)
• 100 g mixed nuts: hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, and raisins

How to prepare the cod brandade

Brandade is the heart of this recipe and, although it sounds sophisticated, it is a surprisingly simple preparation. The key is in the emulsion: olive oil, cream, and potato must be integrated with the cod to form a smooth and homogeneous cream.

Step 1: Confit the garlic

Slice the two cloves of garlic thinly. Put them in a small saucepan with the 50 ml of mild olive oil and cook over very low heat for 5-6 minutes. The garlic should brown slightly without burning — we are looking for confit garlic that adds sweetness, not bitterness. The oil will be flavored with the garlic, and that perfumed oil will be the base of our brandade.

Step 2: Prepare the cod

Shred the desalted cod with your hands, removing any bones or skin you find. Place the cod flakes in a large bowl. Pour the hot garlic oil (with the garlic included) directly over the shredded cod. This thermal shock begins to gently cook the cod and allows it to absorb the aromas of the confit garlic.

Step 3: Emulsify the brandade

Heat the liquid cream in a separate saucepan without bringing it to a boil — it should be hot but not bubbling. Put the cod with the garlic oil in a blender or food processor. Add the hot cream and the cooked potato (peeled and diced). Blend until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream.

The ideal texture is that of a dense mousse: firm enough to hold its shape when piped, but creamy enough to melt in the mouth. If it's too thick, add a little more cream. If it's too liquid, add a little more potato. Season with salt — remember that the cod already provides saltiness.

Transfer the brandade to a piping bag with a medium plain nozzle. If you don't have a piping bag, a plastic bag with a corner cut off works perfectly. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the components.

Fresh herb mayonnaise

The herb mayonnaise is the touch that elevates this recipe from a simple appetizer to a memorable bite. The combination of six different aromatic herbs creates a complex flavor profile that complements the smoothness of the brandade.

Preparation

Wash and thoroughly dry all fresh herbs. Finely chop the parsley, basil, sage, and chives. Strip the thyme leaves. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise with all the chopped herbs and dried oregano. Stir well until the herbs are evenly distributed — the mayonnaise should take on a variegated greenish hue.

Dried oregano adds a slightly different note to fresh herbs: more concentrated, more earthy. Do not substitute it with fresh oregano, as the effect is different. The combination of fresh and dry is deliberate in Ada Parellada's recipe.

If you want to intensify the green color, you can blanch the fresh herbs for 10 seconds in boiling water, cool them in ice water, and blend them with a little of the mayonnaise before mixing. But for an informal appetizer, hand chopping is more than enough.

Assembling the spheres

Assembly is the most fun and fastest part. Ada Parellada designed this recipe with almost immediate assembly in mind, a three-step process that anyone can execute.

Step 1: Prepare the panipuris

Panipuris come in pre-fried and ready-to-use packages. With the tip of a knife or your finger, make a hole in the top of each panipuri — large enough to insert the piping bag nozzle, but not so large that the sphere loses its shape. Panipuris are fragile, so handle with care.

Step 2: Chop the nuts

Roughly chop the hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts. Do not pulverize them — we want irregular pieces that provide crunch. Mix with the raisins. This nut base will go into the bottom of each panipuri, creating a layer of texture and flavor that contrasts with the creaminess of the brandade.

Step 3: Fill and serve

Insert a teaspoon of the nut mixture through the hole of each panipuri — this will be the base of the filling. Then, insert the piping bag nozzle and pipe the cod brandade until the sphere is full. Finally, top each sphere with a teaspoon of herb mayonnaise.

Serve immediately. Panipuris lose their crispness with moisture, so assembly should be done just before serving. If you prepare several, assemble in batches of 4-6 and bring them to the table. Ada Parellada puts it well: "Ideal for informal snacking. Put these on the table and they will disappear in minutes."

Presentation and serving tips

Although this appetizer is informal by nature, there are details that make the difference between just putting it on the table and presenting it with style:

• Brandade temperature: Take it out of the fridge 5 minutes before filling. It should be cool but not icy — extreme cold dulls the aromas of cod and garlic.
• Toasted nuts: If you lightly toast the hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes before chopping them, the aroma and flavor will multiply. Ada Parellada uses them raw in her version, but the toasted touch is a subtle improvement.
• Serving tray: Present the spheres on a bed of coarse salt or rice — the spheres won't roll and the visual effect is very attractive.
• Garnish herbs: Reserve a few small basil leaves or chive sprigs to place on top of the herb mayonnaise as a finishing touch.
• Wine pairing: A brut nature cava or a white wine aged in oak (such as a Chardonnay from Costers del Segre) perfectly complements the creaminess of the brandade and the freshness of the herbs.

Variations of cod brandade

Classic brandade on toast

If you can't find panipuris, the same brandade works spectacularly on crystal bread toasts or thin slices of toasted baguette. Pipe the brandade onto each toast, gratinate for 2 minutes under the oven grill, and finish with the herb mayonnaise. It loses the surprise factor of the sphere format, but the taste is identical.

Brandade with piquillo pepper

Replace the panipuris with canned piquillo peppers as a container. Fill each pepper with the brandade and serve cold or warm with the herb mayonnaise on top. It's a more Mediterranean version and a classic of Basque-Catalan pintxos.

Brandade with smoked cod

Replace half of the desalted cod with smoked cod to add an extra dimension of flavor. The smoky note combines very well with the nuts and fresh herbs. Reduce the salt in the recipe because smoked cod is usually saltier.

Brandade croquettes

If you have leftover brandade, chill it thoroughly in the fridge for 2 hours, form small croquettes, coat them in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and deep-fry in hot oil (180°C) until golden. Brandade croquettes are another classic that shares the same base but offers a completely different experience.

Frequently asked questions