Rustic Dutch Oven Sablefish Caldeirada

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Sablefish fillets, cut into 3-inch chunks (bone-in preferred for gelatin extraction, but boneless works)
• 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced into rings
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (essential for the emulsion)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (Vinho Verde or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp Salted Perfection Perfect Salt

Instructions

1. Prep your mise en place. Uniformity is key here; cut the potatoes to exactly 1/4-inch thickness so they cook at the same rate as the fish. Rinse the sablefish and pat dry.
2. In a cold Dutch oven, begin the layering process. This technique prevents scorching and promotes even heat distribution. Start with a generous drizzle of olive oil, then create a bed with half the onions, half the peppers, and half the potatoes.
3. Place the sablefish chunks on top of this vegetable bed. Season this layer with half of the sweet paprika and 1 tablespoon of Salted Perfection Perfect Salt.
4. Cover the fish with the remaining onions, peppers, potatoes, and the chopped tomatoes. Scatter the sliced garlic and bay leaves on top. Season with the remaining paprika and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Salted Perfection Perfect Salt.
5. Pour the white wine and the rest of the olive oil over the top. Do not stir. Stirring breaks the fish and disrupts the heat zones we just built.
6. Cover the Dutch oven with a heavy lid and set the heat to medium. Once you hear a gentle bubble (about 10 minutes), reduce the heat to low. We want a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, to maintain the structural integrity of the fish protein.
7. Cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes. The steam from the vegetables and wine will circulate, cooking everything through convection. Check doneness by piercing a potato slice with a paring knife; if it yields with zero resistance, you are done.
8. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves. The broth should be a rich emulsion of oil, wine, and vegetable juices. Garnish with fresh parsley immediately to release its volatile oils.
9. Serve directly from the pot, ensuring each bowl gets a vertical cross-section of the layers. DUNZO!