1. Drain the salt cold and slice into bite-sized pieces.

2. Boil fennel in water to cover until tender. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in a large pot on the stove and add the saffron. Let it "bloom" in the oil for a moment, then add the onions. Turn the heat down and allow the onions to cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add the leeks, garlic, kale, fennel, fennel pollen, tomatoes and Vermouth. Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes and incorporate all of the ingredients, and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cod pieces. Break up the toast and distribute it through the chowder. Simmer for several minutes, until the cod is almost cooked through. Turn off the heat to allow the fish to finish cooking and the toast pieces to soak up the liquid. Taste the broth and season with salt, if necessary (you probably won't need any if you add the anchovies). Serve with fresh ground pepper and the optional garlic aioli.

1. Pound the garlic with a mortar, then use a whisk to combine with salt and 1 egg yolk. Whisking continuously, work in the oil a drop at a time; when it starts to thicken, you can add more oil in a thin stream. When you have a thick emulsion, taste the aioli, season with pepper, then taste again. You can thin it by adding a few drops of water, if desired, or add a little more oil if the garlic is overpowering (though mine was very garlicky and I loved it with the soup). If you have trouble, see this helpful post from David Lebovitz.)