Brudet - Croatian fish stew

Other

Gut and descale the fish but leave the heads on. Wash the fish and tap it dry with a paper towel. Wash the shellfish too.

Coat the fish in a thin layer of flour.

Heat the oil in a wide saucepan. When ready, shallow fry the fish for 2 minutes on each side – enough for the meat to turn tender so you can remove it from the bone. Do not fry the shellfish. Reserve the used oil.

Once the fish has cooled slightly, remove the fish meat from the bones.

Sauté the onions until translucent in the same oil you set aside for about 15 minutes. Add garlic at the end.

Scald the tomatoes, peel their skin off and cut them into small chunks. Throw them in. Season with salt, sugar, pepper and half of the parsley leaves. Simmer until the tomatoes have turned into a paste and the liquid has reduced. For a deeper flavour, add cherry tomatoes too.

Add wine and water and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Now, add the fish and shellfish in order of firmness. In this case: (black) scorpionfish, langoustines or prawns, mackerel and, lastly, red mullet. The softest fish simmers only for 3-4 minutes, and all together, they cook for about 15 minutes.

Never stir the brudet as it simmers because the fish may fall apart. Only shake the pot. Serve with polenta and garnish with the remaining chopped parsley.