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1
Lay the sliced onions and garlic across the base of a wide, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, covering the bottom completely. This base layer prevents the potato from scorching and begins the layering structure.
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2
Arrange the potato slices in an even layer over the onion. Season. Lay the sliced tomatoes and green pepper over the potato. Season again. No liquid is added at any stage — the tomatoes and the fish will supply all moisture in the pot.
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3
Place the firmest fish — monkfish or ling — directly on the tomato and pepper layer. Lay the medium fish — sea bass or bream — on top of that, and finish with the most delicate and oily species — sardine or mackerel — at the very top. Season each fish layer as it goes in. Repeat the vegetable-then-fish sequence if the pot is deep enough to warrant a second build.
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4
Seal the pot with its lid as tightly as possible. Set over medium-low heat and cook for 35 to 45 minutes. Do not lift the lid; do not stir at any point. This is where the dish lives or dies: a broken seal lets steam escape and destroys the layered structure; a single stir collapses the stew into mush.
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5
After 35 minutes, lift the lid and press a knife tip into the thickest potato slice. The potato must yield without resistance and hold its shape — not crumble. If it meets any firmness, replace the lid and continue for the remaining time before testing again.
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6
Pour the olive oil generously over the surface in a slow, even stream, then scatter the cilantro across the top. Serve directly from the pot, portioning carefully so that each plate carries defined, intact pieces of each fish variety and an unbroken layer of potato beneath.