If you are eating anything from Galicia, you know it has paprika. Although the word itself is Hungarian and the spice originated in America (it was brought to Spain on the Caravela Santa-Maria in the 15th century), it became most strongly
entrenched in the cuisine of Spain in its northwest corner, Galicia.
This delicious dish (Merluza a la Gallega) comes from the very good cookbook, The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas, and is simple to make - perfect for a nutritious weeknight meal. Chop an onion, slice some potatoes (use a mandoline to speed things up), toss in the spices and simmer them with some water in a covered dutch oven on the stovetop for about 20 minutes.
Then uncover, place the fish steaks or fillets (any firm-fleshed fish that flakes easily will work; I used local wild rock cod fillets) on top of the bubbling potato-and-spice mixture, and bake in a 350 degree
oven for 10-15 minutes.
Open a bottle of wine (a Barbera d'Asti was my choice) while you wait for dinner - the starch from the potatoes creates a wonderfully unctuous sauce that would pair equally well with a crisp white or a light red wine. Enjoy!
