Bourdeto Recipe: Sea Bass Stew with Paprika

Sea bass bourdeto stew from Corfu with crispy roasted potatoes.

Bourdeto Recipe: Sea Bass Stew with Paprika

Bourdeto is the simplest and most beautiful stew from Corfu, an Island off the coast of Greece. Traditionally, it is made with scorpion fish, but my Anglicised version uses sea bass, and it tastes absolutely divine!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Greek

Keyword bourdeto, greek fish stew, sea bass stew

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings Servings

Calories 599kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

2 Medium Sea Bass 700g Total: Cleaned without the Head
1 Large Onion 250g
2 Garlic Cloves
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoon Sweet Paprika
½-1 teaspoon Spicy Paprika
500 ml Water 2 Cups
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Course Sea Salt
Fresh Parsley to Garnish

Instructions

If your sea bass has not been cleaned, remove the scales, the innards, fins and the head; the latter part of this is optional. Sprinkle the cavities of the fish with a quarter of the sea salt and set aside.
Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into half-moon shapes 2-3mm (⅛") thick.
Peel the garlic cloves and slice them as finely as you can.
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan (or one large enough to hold the fish) over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil.
Throw in the sliced onions and cook for 12-15 minutes, you want the onions to soften right down, and start to become golden.
Add the garlic, sweet paprika and spicy paprika, stir to get the paprika "going" for 30 seconds, then pour in the water and bring the sauce to a boil.
Add the lemon juice and the salt, stir, have a taste and adjust the flavours to your taste and reduce the heat so the sauce is just simmering.
Add the fish, spoon over some of the sauce and onion, cover with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes. Then carefully flip the fish and cook (covered) for another 5-6 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes before serving with lots of fresh parsley.

Notes

Try to get your fishmonger to clean your fish, it will save you around 10-15 minutes. My timings assume that your fish is already cleaned.

Nutrition