Name: Red Snapper Baked in Salt with Romesco Sauce
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 large plum tomatoes; 2 large red bell peppers; 1 medium onion (unpeeled); 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 dried ancho chile*; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar; 1 slice wheat bread, toasted, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 cup); 1 teaspoon pimentón or other imported sweet paprika (see note below); 2 2-pound whole red snappers; 6 pounds coarse kosher salt; 3 cups water

Red Snapper Baked in Salt with Romesco SauceNoel Barnhurst

The salt creates a seal around the fish, which preserves its moisture and pure flavors. Romesco is a classic sauce from the Catalonia region. For cooking the fish, use two 13x9x2-inch metal baking pans.

Chef's note:

Chef José Andrés says that comparing pimentón, a Spanish smoked paprika, to the supermarket variety is like "comparing it to red powder." Pimentón is the sweetly smoky flavor in everything from chorizo sausage to paella. Look for dulce (sweet) and de la Vera on the label. Peppers from the La Vera region are always smoke-dried; in other regions they are sun-dried.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.