Baccalao a Trilogy: Cod cakes Topped with Quails Eggs (Part II)

Following the unfortunate timing of his solo debut, the brandade left with only thoughts of his newfound friend, the avocado. Seeing the avocado as supple and mild, the salted cod imagined that sharing the stage with this gentle friend would not detract from his own beauty, but rather complement his texture.

Desperate to find an audience, the cod fashioned himself into a cod cake (much like those he had seen in Cindy Pawlcyn's book of the Napa Valley), settled into a buttered English muffin with an avocado underarm, and offered himself up to morning brunchers. It was then that the cod discovered his own modesty, feeling appallingly exposed atop the muffin. Without even a fig leaf, he was nude.

Enter the quail egg. Small and concise, the quail egg lent creaminess, texture, -- extending just enough to cover the cod's naughty parts. Perfect for the California climate.



BRANDADE CAKES QUAIL EGGS BENEDICT Serves 4 Total time - 20 minutes (Or 3 days if making the Brandade from scratch)

SUMMARY This is a quick dish, and the quail eggs cook even quicker. The caveat is that the Brandade should've been made beforehand. Here is a recipe.)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 c brandade (made from roughly 1/3 lb dried salt cod)
- 5 quail eggs
- 1/4 panko bread crumbs
- Olive oil

- For garnish - avocados, lemon, tabasco, and dill aioli (aioli with some fresh dill)

1. Mix the brandade with 1 quail egg in a bowl. Shape the brandade into 4 disks. Because the brandade is a firm, shape the disks to be on the flatter side. Make a little divot in the middle of the cake. This is where the quail yolks will go and should be able to sit in the divot without slipping off. Coat in the panko break crumbs.



To crack quail eggs, gingerly chisel off the top of the egg with a sharp knife. The shell is brittle. Dump the contents out into a small dish and pick out any shell. Crack all the eggs into small dishes.



2. Heat a saute pan on medium high heat and coat the bottom of the dish will olive oil. Place the brandade cakes divet side down and fry until golden, 2-4 minutes. Try not to move the cake too much to allow the crumbs to develop a nice crust. Once they are golden, flip the cakes and continue to fry the other side until golden.

3. Pour one quail egg on top of each cod cake. Aim it so that the yolk lands in the divot and does not slip off. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan. Depending on how done you like your quail yolk, leave the lid on from 20-60 seconds.



4. Once the yolk is set, slide the cakes out of the pan, garnish with sliced olive oil, a wedge of lemon, and some dill aioli. Tabasco if desired.



Wheeeeee!!!!!