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1
Warm the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook gently, stirring, until it is soft and fragrant but not coloured — the oil should smell of garlic throughout.
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2
Pour the water into the pot, season with salt, and raise the heat. Bring to a steady simmer — the surface should tremble but not boil hard.
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3
Slide the dogfish slices into the simmering broth and poach for 5–6 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the fish must be removed from the heat the moment it is just opaque through to the centre and yields to light pressure — a finger pressed to the surface should meet firm, not hard, resistance. Any further cooking toughens it beyond recovery.
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4
Take the pot off the heat entirely. Add the vinegar and the chopped coriander, stir once, and leave to steep for one minute — the coriander should perfume the broth immediately and the vinegar's sharp edge should be detectable without sourness.
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5
Arrange the stale bread slices in the base of each serving bowl. Ladle the hot broth over them and lay the dogfish slices on top. The bread should begin absorbing the broth at once, swelling and softening — it is ready to serve when the slices are sodden through but still hold their shape.