Adriatic Fish Stew (Brudet)
Brudet brudetSay it: BROO-det
Brudet reaches the table as a deep-red, brothy seafood stew with a clear vinegar edge and the scent of garlic, parsley and rosemary. It comes from Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, where firm white fish and shrimp or prawns are the core, and cuttlefish or mussels often join them. The pot is handled gently: the seafood finishes in a tomato-and-white-wine base, and the pot is shaken rather than stirred so the pieces stay whole. Soft polenta is the traditional partner, catching the sauce in the bowl.
Adriatic Fish Stew (Brudet)
Brudet, brudet
Pronounced BROO-det
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Fish and shellfish
Stew
Polenta
Method
Start the polenta. in a heavy saucepan, bring the 6 cups (1.4 L) water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Pour in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream while whisking. Lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 35–40 minutes, until the mixture is thick and begins to pull away from the pan sides. Fold in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, cover, and hold warm.
Dry the fish and shrimp with paper towels, then give them a light seasoning of salt and black pepper.
In a wide, heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm the 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring, until softened and golden, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, white wine, vinegar, bay leaf, rosemary sprig and half the parsley. Let the mixture bubble steadily, stirring now and then, until it thickens a little and turns darker, 10–12 minutes.
Add the fish stock or water and bring back to a low simmer. Taste, then season with salt and black pepper.
Slide the fish chunks into the sauce in a single layer, nudging them just under the surface. Avoid stirring; if needed, shake the pot gently. Cover and cook over low heat for 8 minutes.
Tuck the shrimp into the sauce, cover, and cook until they turn pink and opaque and the fish flakes easily, 5–8 minutes. Take out the bay leaf and rosemary. If the sauce is loose, simmer uncovered briefly; if it is too thick, add a little warm water.
Spoon the stew into shallow bowls, scatter the remaining parsley over the top, and accompany each portion with a generous spoonful of soft polenta.
Regional variant: Istrian white brodet (bijeli brodet)
Leave out the tomatoes and replace them with 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) fish stock plus an extra 1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine. Cook the onions until very soft without letting them brown, then use more garlic and parsley than in the red version. The result is a paler, brothier stew, still paired with soft polenta.
Cook's notes
- Pick the firmest, freshest white fish available, and combine at least two types for the depth associated with the dish. After the fish goes in, stop stirring; a gentle shake of the pot is enough to keep the chunks intact.
- Keeping the shrimp shells on adds flavor, while peeling them first makes eating simpler. If you want, add mussels or clams at the same time as the shrimp.
- The vinegar should give the sauce a welcome edge. Should it taste too sharp at the end, loosen it with a splash of stock or warm water instead of adding sugar.
Serve with
Ladle it into wide, shallow bowls over soft polenta and pair it with chilled Pošip, Malvazija or another dry white wine.
Make ahead and storage
The stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and warmed gently without boiling. Polenta is best fresh, though any leftovers can be sliced and grilled.
