An Andalusian dish with a sweet, aromatic sauce. Do not use canned chickpeas here.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　2 cod fillets, each about 1 inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 cups cooked chickpeas, with their liquid (see page 36)

　　3/4 cup sherry, preferably amontillado

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the cod in one layer (cook in batches if necessary, but undercook the first batch by about a minute, as it will remain in the oven longer); turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the fish, shiny side (where the skin was) up. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes, or until the cooked side is evenly browned. Turn the fish onto an ovenproof plate, browned side up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put it in the oven.

　　

Step 2

Immediately add the chickpeas (with about 1 cup of their cooking liquid) to the skillet and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the sherry and raise the heat to high. Cook, shaking the pan now and then, until the liquid is all but evaporated and the chickpeas are beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic along with some salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally; stir in the remaining olive oil and sherry.

　　

Step 3

By this time the fish will be done. (If it is not, hold the chickpeas over low heat until it is.) Serve it on top of the chickpeas, garnished with the parsley if you like.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.