Cod Toasts with Smoky White Beans

Do you ever get home after a long day and open the fridge only to see random odds and ends blinking back at you? On nights like these, we turn to our pantry. Stocked with a few essentials—a good bottle of EVOO, vinegar, beans and some jars or tins of fish—you're only a couple of ingredients away from a delicious meal that doesn't feel like an afterthought. Enter these Spanish-inspired cod toasts.

Slathered with a rustic, garlicky white bean spread and topped with luscious chunks of confit cod, this pantry-to-table meal comes together in just 20 minutes. Then all that's left to do is to open up bottle of Albariño (or your favorite white wine), kick back and relax.

Recipe, food styling and photography by Asha Loupy

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

One large shallot, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Moscatell Vinegar from Espelt Viticultors
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, such as Vieiru DOP
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon Las Hermanas Pimentón de La Vera DOP
One 14- to 15-ounce can or jar of white beans, such as Cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
Two 7-ounce jars Cod Fillets in Olive Oil, lightly drained
4 tablespoons tender green herbs (like parsley, mint or dill, or a combination), roughly chopped
4 slices rustic bread, such as batard or levain, toasted or grilled

Instructions

Combine the shallots, vinegar, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and toss to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes, tossing a few times to make sure the shallots are coated in vinegar and lemon juice mixture.

While the shallots are quick pickling, make the smoky white beans. Place two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil is hot and the garlic just starts to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the Pimentón de La Vera and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Add the white beans, stir to coat in the pimentón garlic oil and continue to cook until the beans are heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the remaining three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and gently mash the beans with the back of a spoon, leaving some of them whole (you want a rustic, yet spreadable texture). Season with salt to taste and set aside.

To finish the shallots, add the chopped herbs and toss to combine.

To assemble, slather each piece of bread with an even layer of the smoky white bean spread. Gently break the cod fillet into large chunks and divide among the four pieces of bread, piling it on top of the white beans. Garnish with the herby, quick-pickled shallots.