Recipe: Cod Cheeks

Name: Cod Cheeks
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: With its onion and ratte potato pureeThis recipe is from the region of Dunkerque; Cod cheeks recipe for 6 guests :; 3.25 lb (1,5 kg) of salted cod cheeks; 6 large ratte potatoes (Touquet variety); 3 large sweet onions (Roscoff variety); 2 dl of well seasoned vinaigrette; salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 pinch of dried thyme flowers; Parsley

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (1 review)

Recipe Cod Cheeks - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 45 min

Cook 120 min

Total 2h45

Servings 6 serv.

Les joues de morue sont un ingrédient de choix en cuisine, apprécié pour leur texture fondante et leur saveur délicate. Elles peuvent être utilisées de différentes manières, selon les préférences culinaires. Certaines personnes préfèrent les faire cuire à la vapeur ou à l'eau, pour obtenir une texture moelleuse et une saveur subtile. D'autres les préfèrent poêler, pour obtenir une croûte croustillante et un cœur fondant. Les joues de morue peuvent également être utilisées pour préparer des plats plus élaborés, comme des risottos, des gratins ou des soufflés. Il est important de bien les nettoyer avant de les utiliser, pour éliminer toutes traces de vase ou de sable. Les joues de morue sont par ailleurs riches en protéines et en acides gras oméga-3, ce qui en fait un aliment sain et nourrissant. Ce plat est originaire de la région de Dunkerque.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

With its onion and ratte potato pureeThis recipe is from the region of Dunkerque

Cod cheeks recipe for 6 guests :
3.25 lb (1,5 kg) of salted cod cheeks
6 large ratte potatoes (Touquet variety)
3 large sweet onions (Roscoff variety)
2 dl of well seasoned vinaigrette

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pinch of dried thyme flowers

Parsley

Step-by-step directions

The day before :

Soak the cod in a large bowl filled with cold water and do not forget to change the water several times.

Next day:

Put the unpeeled onions in cold water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil and cook for 5 min. Then place the onions on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven for 2 hours at a temperature of 325°F (320°F (160°C) or th5).

Put the cod in cold water and bring to a boil, removing froth from surface. Cook gently for 15 min and remove from the heat.

Drain the cod, remove its skin and throw away.

Separately cook the potatoes –unpeeled) in water with salt, add the thyme flowers and one bayleaf.

During this time prepare your vinaigrette.

Check if the potatoes are ready and finally peel them while they are HOT.

Remove the onions from the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut them in two, widthways, in order to obtain 6 halves.

Hollow the onions out with a spoon and set the flesh aside. Keep the main onion shells.

Put some butter or some oil on a frying pan and sautee the cod. Add the sliced potatoes and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Finally add the onion puree (the flesh you had set aside).

Place this in a large bowl and pour some vinaigrette to season it, stirring gently.

Place 6 small heaps of coarse salt on a hotplate in order to keep the onion shells upright. Fill them with the cod mixture.

Sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top and place the onions in the oven grill for 5 min.

Serve very hot on elegant plates.

If you are unfortunately unable to find cod cheeks then buy standard salted cod.

Just one additional tip: if you make a potato salad, ALWAYS season them while they are hot. This way they will absorb the seasoning better.

If you season potatoes when they are cold the starch makes the seasoning does not set on the potatoes QED.

A chef's advice

Cook the cheeks for just 15 minutes once the broth reaches a boil. Beyond that, the flesh turns mealy and crumbles apart. The right timing is as soon as the water simmers well, then you turn off heat and let it rest 2 minutes. Not a second more. That's the difference between melt-in-mouth and mush.