The inspiration for this stew was a traditional Romesco sauce that originated in the coastal regions of Spain, particularly in Catalonia. While there are as many variations as there are towns in the region—not unlike marinara in Italy—the basics are red peppers, garlic, oil and nuts. While some versions call for stale bread or breadcrumbs to thicken the sauce, we obviously wanted to avoid that. (Gluten free. Duh!) Once Kyle located a recipe that didn’t call for the bread, the experimentation began…
In the interest of continuing to eschew tradition (it’s a thing with us), we also set about making the ingredients list a little more user friendly by substituting some of the more exotic ingredients for their more easily obtained cousins. It’s not like we could just run down to the Bocqueria Market in Barcelona for our produce. If only. *sigh* In that spirit, the piquillo peppers and tomatoes were swapped out with roasted red peppers (canned or jarred are fine) and sun-dried tomatoes in oil. We used cod, but any firm white fish will work fine.
Once all of the sauce ingredients are blended, they can be thinned with a little clam sauce for the proper consistency.
While the stew is fantastic on its own with all of those beautiful layers of flavor, we served it over roasted fingerling potatoes, because their browned, butteriness is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet, smoky, spicy stew.
What you end up with is a hearty and satisfying cool weather dish that won’t weigh you down and gives you a break from all of the turkey and stuffing that awaits you…
Inspired by Bon Appetit, via Epicurious.
- 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds
- 1 7½ ounce jar sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained, oil reserved
- ½ cup coarsely chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar or can
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Sherry wine
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup clam juice
- 2 pounds cod, cut in 2-inch pieces
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. Roast until golden brown and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, stirring from time to time, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the potatoes roast, chop nuts and garlic in food processor; add sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup of the reserved oil, peppers, garlic, paprika, Sherry, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then puree. Add clam juice and puree until smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pieces of cod and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add Romesco sauce to the skillet and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cod is opaque in center, about 2 minutes.
- To serve, divide potatoes between four bowls. Spoon Romesco-cod stew over; sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
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