Bilbao Salt Cod Brandade with Homemade Potato Chips

Boil 3 quarts of water, and add 10 1/2 ounces (300 g) of coarse gray sea salt. Once the salt has completely dissolved, remove the brine from the heat and cool immediately.

Eliminate the excess salt from the fish. Plunge it into the brine and let it soak for 2 days, keeping it in a cool place. The purpose of this procedure is to allow the sections of salt cod to swell, thereby speeding up the desalting process.

Remove the fish from the brine and place into a recipient of cold water with a metal rack so that the fish doesn’t touch the bottom. Make sure that the salt cod is placed with the skin facing up so that the salt is eliminated more easily. Desalt for 36 hours, changing the water every 3 to 4 hours.

This recipe is recommended for salt cod of prime quality. However if an inferior quality is used, simply desalt in cold running water for 36 hours.

Remove the skin and carve out the hearts of the fillets.

Poach the fillets in the milk, flavored with the star anise. Remove with a slotted spoon, place in an earthenware dish and add some lemon juice and olive oil. Cover the dish and keep hot for 15 minutes to cook the fish gently.