Cod Stewed with Tomatoes and White Beans

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 12 minutes.

Add the sliced garlic and cook 2 minutes more until fragrant but not browned.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Cook down, stirring often, until the tomatoes break into a thick, jammy sauce, about 15 minutes. This is your sofregit.

In a small bowl, crumble the saffron threads into 2 tablespoons of warm water. Let steep 5 minutes to release its color and aroma.

Pour the chicken broth into the sofregit and stir to combine. Add the saffron water and its soaking liquid, stirring until the broth takes on a deep amber color.

Add the drained white beans to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes to let the beans absorb the broth.

While the broth simmers, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the toasted almonds with the remaining garlic cloves and a pinch of salt into a rough, textured paste. This is your picada.

Season the cod fillets with salt and white pepper. Nestle them gently into the simmering bean broth.

Ladle the hot broth over the cod, then cover the pot. Cook until the cod is opaque and flakes easily, about 6-8 minutes. Do not overcook.

Stir the picada into the stew, swirling it through gently to thicken the broth slightly without breaking up the fish.

Remove from heat. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the stew and scatter with roughly chopped parsley.

Let the stew rest 5 minutes before ladling into wide bowls, ensuring each portion has cod, beans, and plenty of saffron broth.