With the sea as one of its main protagonists, Galician cuisine is one of the most renowned in the country. Its traditional seafood platters of gooseneck barnacles, velvet crabs, spider crabs, oysters or scallops, "pulpo a feira" (Galician-style octopus), Galician empanada (pie) or "caldeirada de pescado" (fish stew) are famous even beyond our borders.
But Galicia also boasts excellent beef, with its own designation of origin, and a rich tradition of dishes beyond seafood, such as "caldo gallego" (Galician soup) or "lacón con grelos" (pork shoulder with turnip greens), and exquisite desserts like "tarta de Santiago" (Santiago cake).
The garnish or accompaniment for many traditional Galician dishes are "cachelos", boiled potatoes with their skin on that perfectly complement the flavors of fish, seafood, and meats.
Today, our chef Javier Ruiz wanted to give these "cachelos" a more prominent role by preparing a simple and light recipe, yet capable of surprising the most demanding palates: Coulant de cachelos filled with brandada.
THE TRAVELING ANCHOVY IN... GALICIA
INGREDIENTS
To make this recipe you will need:
- Pujadó Solano Cod Brandade
- 800 g Galician potatoes (preferably Kennebec variety)
- 50 g butter
- 100 ml whole milk
- Paprika
- Salt to taste
PREPARATION
-
First, you need to prepare a "cachelo" puree:
- To do this, wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into medium-sized pieces.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20-25 minutes, until tender.
- Drain them well and pass them through a food mill or mash them until you get a fine texture.
- Add the butter and milk gradually while mixing, until you achieve a creamy puree.
- Adjust salt to taste.
-
Prepare the brandade:
- Open the Pujadó Solano cod brandade and lighten it by adding a little cooking cream.
-
Assemble the coulant:
- Grease individual cylindrical molds (flan molds) with a little oil.
- Fill the molds with the "cachelo" puree, leaving a hollow in the center.
- With a spoon, fill the hollow with the lightened cod brandade.
- Cover the surface with more "cachelo" puree, making sure the filling is completely enclosed.
-
Presentation:
- Plate each mold and finish by sprinkling paprika over each coulant.
If you prefer to keep it simpler, you can just prepare some "cachelos" filled with brandade.
