Spanish-Style Cod with Tomatoes and Olives

This Spanish dish, called ajoarriero, typically uses salt cod (bacalao), which needs to be soaked overnight to soften and remove the salt. We’re using lingcod along with the classic tomato, olives, roasted peppers, and potatoes, but any firm white fish like rockfish, cod, or halibut will do.

• Salt and fresh ground pepper

• 12 ounces small red potatoes, quartered

• 2 (5- to 7-ounce) lingcod fillets  

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika

• 1 medium shallot or ½ small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

• ½ cup thickly-sliced, jarred roasted red peppers

• 1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes with their juices (or whole plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped)

• ½ cup  pitted green Spanish olives

• Crusty bread for serving

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook just until barely tender when pierced with a knife, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Drizzle the fish lightly with oil, then rub with the paprika and a pinch each of salt and pepper. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until lightly seared, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the potatoes to the skillet and cook turning once, just until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the plate with the fish.

Add the shallot, roasted peppers, and garlic to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer until the liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices along with ½ cup water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced, 5 to 7 minutes.

Nestle the fish, potatoes, and olives into the sauce. Cover partially, and cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Pour any light and fruity white or rose from Spain, such as albariño or txakolina rosado.

Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for spice and jarred piquillo peppers for a more authentic flavor.

Turn leftovers into a quick and easy bouillabaisse by adding a bit of fish stock or clam juice and serving with crunchy crostini.

Filled with many heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and lean proteins, this hearty and heart healthy stew is a nutritional powerhouse.