I’m no stranger to a fish stew – I have several different variations on this website (see my Maltese aljotta or Sicilian fish stew, for example), but one of my absolute favourites is brodet (also known as brudet). Hailing from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, this is a simple fish stew that is bright, flavourful and can be made in its entirety in under an hour.
You can use any kind of fish you’d like – from mixed shellfish to white fish or a combination of everything. It’s traditionally served with polenta or potatoes and it’s the perfect dish to transport you to the Croatian seaside!
How to Make Croatian Fish Stew
I like to start with marinating the fish, which you can do while you get the rest of the broth together. Add your fish to a large mixing bowl and season it generously with salt.
Then, go ahead and drizzle it with some olive oil, add in a clove of minced garlic and a bit of chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine and set aside until you need it.
Now, onto the broth. Add a bit more olive oil to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. To the oil, also add in some chili flakes and a couple of anchovy fillets.
The anchovies add such a nice umami quality to the finished stew and they basically just dissolve into it.
Once the oil is shimmering and the anchovies have almost dissolved, add a diced onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the onion until it’s softened, about five minutes. Then, add in some minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for a minute longer.
After that, I like to add in some diced fresh tomato. Season with another generous pinch of salt and cook the tomatoes until they begin to break down and become jammy in texture – this will take about five minutes.
Then, pour in a bit of dry white wine. This adds a pleasant floral acidity to the finished soup. Let the wine reduce a bit and the alcoholic smell cook off. This will only take a couple of minutes.
Now, pour over a bit of cool water and bring everything to a simmer. Let the broth simmer for ten minutes before you add the fish.
Depending on the kind of fish you use, it may only take about 5 minutes to cook through completely. And as soon as the fish is cooked, remove the soup from the heat.
And that is all there is to the stew! Go ahead and serve the brodet alongside some polenta, potatoes or, to be very Croatian, some homemade blitva.
Brodet (Croatian Fish Stew)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) firm white fish cut into 3cm pieces
- 150 g (5 oz) mixed seafood such as clams, prawns, mussels, calamari, etc (see note 1)
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
- 5 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 2 anchovy fillets roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
Instructions
- Add the fish and seafood (if it does not have shells) to a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, add the parsley and one clove of the garlic. Season generously with salt and stir to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature while assembling the rest of the broth.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, the anchovies and chili flakes to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering and the anchovies are beginning to dissolve, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, a further 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and another pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every so often, until they are broken down and jammy in consistency, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook for a minute or two longer, just until the liquid reduces somewhat and the strong alcoholic smell has dissipated.
- Pour 1 litre (4 cups) of cool water over the tomato mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the fish and seafood and simmer until just cooked through, roughly 5-8 minutes depending on the fish (see note 1). Serve immediately, with polenta or potatoes.
Notes
- If using shell-on seafood like mussels & clams, note that the shells must be completely open to ensure they are cooked through. Add more delicate seafood like prawns and calamari in the last 2–3 minutes to avoid overcooking.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Croatian brudet is such a delicious and simple fish stew that is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, but impressive enough to serve to company.
Are you after a recipe for Croatian seafood stew? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
