Chef Isabel
All Cremat de Vilanova
All Cremat de Vilanova is Catalan boat cooking: garlic taken dark in olive oil, then tomato, fish stock, and firm fish, no potato, just a broth with nerve.
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Cim i Tomba
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Cim i Tomba is Catalan, from Tossa de Mar: white fish and potatoes cooked in fish broth, then bound with allioli off the heat so the sauce turns thick and glossy.
Soups & Stews
Spanish
Comfort Food
One Pot
Budget Friendly
25 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield4 servings
Cim i Tomba belongs to Tossa de Mar, on the Catalan coast, and it is fishermen's spoon food: white fish, potatoes, fish broth, and allioli, the garlic and oil sauce that binds the pot at the end. It sits near a suquet de peix, yes, but this one is named by the way the pot is moved and by that final allioli. That is what makes it Tossa's dish, not just another fish stew.
The method that decides it is simple and unforgiving in a useful way. Cook the potatoes until they give, add the fish only long enough to stay juicy, then take the pot off the heat before the allioli goes in. Loosen the allioli with a ladle of hot broth first, then shake the pot by the handles. Boil it after that and it can split, and you'll have oily broth instead of a tied sauce. No drama. Just don't boil it.
If you're far from the Costa Brava, use monkfish, hake, cod, haddock, or another firm white fish that comes in thick pieces. Rock fish gives the broth more character, but a good fish stock and fresh firm fillets will still make a proper pot. No hace falta haber pisado Espana. Get the potatoes right, respect the allioli, and siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Cim i Tomba is tied to Tossa de Mar, where fishermen cooked aboard with the fish that was least useful for selling, potatoes, oil, garlic, and seawater or fish broth in a simple pot. The name is commonly linked to the movement of lifting and turning the vessel so the contents mixed without breaking the fish. Its place is within the Catalan coastal family of fish stews, but the allioli stirred through at the end marks it as the Tossa version.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
firm white fish, such as monkfish, hake, cod, haddock, or rock fish
Quantity
800g
cut into large pieces
waxy potatoes
Quantity
700g
peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices
onion
Quantity
1 medium
finely chopped
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
2
grated
olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fish stock
Quantity
750ml
hot
bay leaf
Quantity
1
sweet pimenton
Quantity
1 teaspoon
salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
garlic cloves for the allioli
Quantity
3
large egg yolk for the allioli
Quantity
1
at room temperature
mild extra virgin olive oil for the allioli
Quantity
180ml
lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Quantity
1 teaspoon
salt for the allioli
Quantity
1 pinch
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| firm white fish, such as monkfish, hake, cod, haddock, or rock fishcut into large pieces | 800g |
| waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 1cm thick slices | 700g |
| onionfinely chopped | 1 medium |
| ripe tomatoesgrated | 2 |
| olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| fish stockhot | 750ml |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| sweet pimenton | 1 teaspoon |
| salt | to taste |
| black pepper | to taste |
| garlic cloves for the allioli | 3 |
| large egg yolk for the allioliat room temperature | 1 |
| mild extra virgin olive oil for the allioli | 180ml |
| lemon juice or white wine vinegar | 1 teaspoon |
| salt for the allioli | 1 pinch |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide cazuela or heavy shallow pot, 28-30cm
- •Mortar and pestle or hand blender
- •Ladle
Instructions
- 1
Salt the fish
Pat the fish dry, season it lightly with salt, and set it aside while you start the pot. Big pieces are your friend here; small cubes overcook before the potatoes are ready.
- 2
Cook the base
Warm the olive oil in a wide cazuela or heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and pale gold. Stir in the grated tomato and cook another 8 to 10 minutes, until the water has gone and the mixture looks thick. This little sofregit, the Catalan slow onion and tomato base, gives the broth its sweetness.
- 3
Simmer the potatoes
Stir in the pimenton for a few seconds, then add the sliced potatoes, bay leaf, and hot fish stock. The stock should just cover the potatoes; add a splash of water if the pot is too dry. Simmer gently for 18 to 22 minutes, until the potatoes are tender at the edge but still holding their shape.
- 4
Make the allioli
While the potatoes cook, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt to a paste. Whisk in the egg yolk, then add the olive oil drop by drop at first, then in a thin stream, until you have a thick sauce. Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar. Pésalo, no lo adivines: too much oil too fast and the sauce can break.
- 5
Cook the fish
Nestle the fish pieces over the potatoes, spoon a little broth over them, and cover the pot. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes but is still juicy. Do not stir with a spoon; shake the pot by the handles so the potatoes and fish stay whole.
- 6
Bind off heat
Turn off the heat. Scoop a ladle of hot broth into a bowl and whisk it into the allioli to loosen it. Pour this back into the pot and shake the pot gently until the broth turns cloudy, thick, and glossy. Do not let it boil now. That is the whole trick: off the heat, the allioli binds; on the boil, it splits.
- 7
Rest and serve
Let the stew rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles around the potatoes. Taste for salt, lift out the bay leaf, and serve in deep bowls with bread for the broth. Tal como se hace allí, plain and good.
Chef Tips
- •Use fish with some firmness: monkfish is excellent, hake is traditional in many Catalan kitchens, and cod or haddock work if the pieces are thick. Thin fillets fall apart, and then you have soup with flakes.
- •If you can get fish bones or heads, make a quick stock with them, onion, parsley stems, and a little salt for 25 minutes. If not, buy the best plain fish stock you can. Avoid strong shellfish stock here; it pushes the dish away from Tossa.
- •Allioli can be made in a mortar or with a hand blender. The mortar gives the old texture, the blender gives confidence. I won't scold you for confidence, but keep the oil mild or the garlic and oil will turn harsh.
Advance Preparation
- •The fish stock can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
- •The allioli can be made a few hours ahead and kept cold, but bring it close to room temperature before loosening it with broth so it binds more easily.
- •Do not finish the stew ahead with the fish and allioli already added. Cook the potatoes ahead if needed, then add the fish and bind the sauce just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 600g)
Calories
810 calories
Total Fat
55 g
Saturated Fat
8 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
45 g
Cholesterol
145 mg
Sodium
1250 mg
Total Carbohydrates
37 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
43 g
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