Spanish-Style Cod in Chorizo-Tomato Broth

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo or pancetta
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pimentón, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Kosher salt
• 4 skin-on cod fillets
• 8 slices of baguette, 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it glints. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chorizo and keep cooking until it picks up a little color, about 4 minutes more. Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring it to a boil, then simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, vinegar, tomatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons pimentón, crushed red pepper, and thyme. Lower the heat and let the broth simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. As the sauce simmers, sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of pimentón. In a large skillet pan, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over high heat until it shimmers. Set the cod in the pan carefully, skin-side down. Leave it alone until the skin is crisp and well browned, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the fish over, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the fish feels firm and is no longer opaque, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Move the fish to a paper towel-lined plate to rest.
3. Place the baguette slices in the pan. Toast them on one side, letting them absorb the pan juices as they brown. After 1 minute, turn them over and brown the second side for about 30 seconds. Take the pan off the heat.
4. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs from the tomato broth. To serve, ladle a generous amount of broth into individual bowls. Set the fish on top, add 2 slices of baguette and parsley, and serve immediately.