Brandade with tomato confit

At Canelé in Atwater Village, this brandade -- a luscious, creamy mixture of potatoes and salt cod -- is perfect for sharing, served in a pretty terra-cotta cazuela. The brandade requires some advance preparation, but the payoff is a terrific, rustic dish that makes a great appetizer for dinner parties.

Assistant Food editor Betty Hallock recently fell in love with it: “The tomato confit was a delicious bonus. The salt cod and rich, roasted tomatoes are a winning combination.” The recipe calls for canned tomatoes, a happy discovery now that tomato season is waning.

Canelé’s brandade with tomato confit

Total time: 3 hours, plus 24 to 48 hours soaking time for the salt cod and roasting time for the tomatoes

Servings: 10

Note: Adapted from chef Corina Weibel of Canelé. Soak the cod first. This recipe requires the use of a stand mixer. The restaurant orders its salt cod from La Espanola market in Harbor City; it can also be purchased in 16-ounce boxes at fine fish counters.

1 pound salt cod

3 (14-ounce) cans of San Marzano tomatoes (no salt added)

Kosher salt

15 cloves of garlic, divided

Olive oil

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 chile de arbol

2 1/2 cups milk, plus more if needed to cover the brandade

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Place the salt cod in a glass baking dish and cover with cool water; make sure it’s submerged. Place it in the refrigerator and allow to soak for 24 hours (change the water at least once or twice). After the initial soaking, taste a little bit of the cod for saltiness; continue to soak until the saltiness is to taste, up to 48 hours total.

2. To make the tomato confit: Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes and gently squeeze them to drain additional tomato juice. Arrange the tomatoes in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a light drizzle of kosher salt, scatter the 10 of garlic cloves around, and drizzle with enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes by two-thirds.

3. Place the tomatoes in the oven and roast them for about 8 hours, until the tomatoes are lightly caramelized on top. Check the tomatoes occasionally during the last 2 hours of cooking to make sure they don’t get too dark. Allow the tomatoes to cool in the oil, then cover the tomatoes (still in their oil) with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

4. To make the brandade: Thoroughly drain the soaked cod and give it a good rinse. Combine the cod, potatoes, onion, chile de arbol, the remaining garlic, the milk and heavy cream in a large, heavy saucepan, making sure the milk and cream completely cover the ingredients. If necessary, add additional milk until all the contents are covered. Heat the pan over medium heat and allow to cook at a slow simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the cod is flaky and soft.

5. Strain the cod and potatoes, discarding the liquid and remaining contents from the pan.

6. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the cod and potatoes in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture binds well. The consistency should be thicker than mashed potatoes, but with a little threading from the cod.

7. In each of five (5-inch) cazuelas or shallow gratin dishes, place one-fifth of the confit tomatoes and spread them around. Cover the tomatoes in each cazuela with about one-fifth of the brandade, spreading the brandade to cover the tomatoes. Place the cazuelas in the oven for about 10 minutes to let everything warm through and lightly caramelize on top. Serve immediately with slices of baguette toasted with olive oil.

Each serving: 542 calories; 31 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 38 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 83 mg. cholesterol; 364 mg. sodium.