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Dalmatian Brudet - Croatian Fish Stew

This flavorful fish and seafood stew is a staple dish all along the Adriatic coast. A gem of Dalmatian cuisine, the pot of brudet brings bold aromas and plenty of nourishment.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Croatian
Keyword seafood
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 662 kcal

Ingredients 

  • 500 g red mullet
  • 350 g scorpionfish/black scorpionfish
  • 200 g mackerel
  • 4 prawns/langoustines (optional)
  • Handful of flour for coating
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 250 g onion (chopped)
  • 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1 kg tomato (ripe (oxheart/heirloom is best))
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes (halved (optional))
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
  • 250 ml water
  • 250 ml dry white wine

Instructions

Preparing the Ingredients:

  • 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.
    Croatian brudet fish
  • Coat the fish in a thin layer of flour.
    brudet fish
  • 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.
    brudet recipe
  • Once the fish has cooled slightly, remove the fish meat from the bones.
    brudet fish prep

Cooking the Brudet

  • 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.
    tomato salsa
  • 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.
    cooking brudet
  • 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.
    Dalmatian brodet brujet

Nutrition

Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 1823mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2658IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 4mg