Bourdeto
Bourdeto is Corfu's fiery fisherman's stew, traditionally made with scorpionfish or other firm fish and coloured red by sweet and hot red pepper. An important Corfiot detail is that the classic version does not need tomato: its colour and heat come from pepper.
Corfu's famous spicy fish stew, traditionally made with scorpionfish and plenty of red pepper.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cooking Time
35 minutes
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Dietary Tags
Fish & Seafood, Gluten Free
true
Ingredients
- 1-1.2 kg cleaned scorpionfish or firm fresh fish, cut into large pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 heaped tbsp sweet paprika
- 1/2-1 tsp hot red pepper or cayenne, to taste
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- Salt
- About 500-700 ml water, as needed
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and soften the chopped onion without burning it.
- Add the sweet and hot red pepper and stir briefly so they perfume and colour the oil.
- Add about 250 ml water and bring to the boil.
- Arrange the fish in the pan and add enough additional water to come close to covering it.
- Cook at a lively simmer until the fish is cooked and the liquid has reduced into a concentrated red sauce.
- Add the lemon juice. Rather than stirring and breaking the fish, shake the pan gently from side to side.
- Simmer for another minute or two, check the seasoning and remove from the heat.
Recipe Tips
- Scorpionfish is the classic choice, but firm cod, monkfish, skate or other robust fish can work.
- Traditional versions vary around Corfu. Some families add tomato, but well-documented older versions obtain the red colour from paprika and hot pepper alone.
- Shake rather than stir once the fish is in the pot.
What to Serve With
Serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the spicy sauce and a simple salad. Bourdeto is bold enough to be the centre of the meal.
Where to Try It in Corfu
For a particularly notable bourdeto, try Klimataria (Bellos) in Benitses. The restaurant specialises in fresh fish and describes its fish bourdeto as one of owner Nikos Bellos's specialities. Because Klimataria works with seasonal seafood, the menu can vary with the catch. Bourdeto can also be found at traditional fish tavernas around Corfu, with recipes varying by village and family.
Recipe Story / Corfu Connection
Bourdeto comes from Corfu's fishing tradition and the Venetian word brodetto. It was a practical fisherman's dish built around the day's catch, olive oil, onion and plentiful red pepper. The result should be distinctly hot, deeply savoury and intensely coloured. Corfiot versions vary by household and village: older documented preparations can rely on sweet and hot red pepper for their colour, while some family versions also use tomato.