With most of the country in the midst of a deep freeze, I thought a ray of sunshine from the Mediterranean island of Corfu would brighten your day. From the Bon Appétit special edition on Islands of the Mediterranean (May 2002), this recipe is from Rex Restaurant on the Greek island of Corfu and is representative of Corfiote cuisine, which is more Italian than Greek due to centuries of Venetian rule. The fish bourdetto – a fish stew with tomatoes and an earthy, peppery flavor – is the highlight of the menu at Rex, where locals and tourists alike come for a relaxing meal before or after a stroll on the cobblestoned streets of the Old Town.
Corfiote Fish Stew
From Bon Appétit | 6 Servings
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 ounces plum tomatoes, diced (1 ¾ cups)
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
¾ cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons fresh parsley, divided use
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 – 6-7 ounce pieces of cod*
* I substituted sustainable cod for the halibut in the original recipe.
1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes longer.
2. Add tomatoes, clam juice, wine, 4 tablespoons parsley and tomato paste. Boil until sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to boil before continuing.)
3. Place fish in sauce; spoon sauce over fish to cover. Simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Shown here with ciabatta toasts smeared with Truffle Aioli and more ciabatta on the side for sopping up the flavorful garlicky tomato broth. Enjoy 
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A big bowl of steaming fish stew sounds so good now. I’ll also take a double portion of he toasts with Truffle Aioli. Suddenly, my white bean soup doesn’t sound as appetizing after this. My office computer screen is huge so your bowl of fish stew looks actual size. Wish I could pick up that spoon and gobble it all up!
Have a great week, Priscilla.
This couldn’t be more perfect. I’ve actually been craving some fish stew. Like how it has cod, that’s easy to find by me. Plus I’ve been dying for an excuse to open up some of my canned tomatoes from the summer.
Great Pick Priscilla!
-Gina-
Priscilla, this looks delicious! I just got back from vacation and my husband and i are not used to this cold weather anymore! We’ve been huddled under a blanket the past couple days… I need some of this soup!
Hm I’ve never had or heard of fish stew before! It looks delicious, I’ll have to try it
I have never had fish stew, what an interesting idea! I wouldn’t even know how to go about it so thanks so much for the recipe!
@Raven
@Nourhan – Fish stew is quick and easy: you make the broth and then put the fish in the simmering liquid for a few minutes and violà, you have a bowl of satisfying soup
I have never actually made a fish stew, but yours is sooo tempting. I believe I actually remember the BA issue! Thanks for bringing a little sunshine to our day!
I made a huge mistake reading this before dinner. I prefer yours tonight!
I am loving this stew. It looks wonderful for a winter day.
Your post reminds me of times where my family had great varieties of fish stew served at least twice a month. The major negative for me is that I would lose control over how much bread I’d be dunking over how much fish I should be eating. LOL
All this to say…now, I think I should get back to making fish stews since I’m way more disciplined ;o)) Well, at least, I’d like to think so.
Thanks for sharing all your warmth Priscilla…everything looks so inviting.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Our weather here in CA is pretty nice…but that fish stew looks incredible anyway! It looks so comforting and rich but not heavy. Yum!
Thanks everyone! And, yes, we’re having gorgeous weather her in Cali, but I know a lot of people who don’t want to hear about it
Please don’t spam my comment even though I call your dish delightful!
We have bottles of clam juice in the pantry, specifically to make soups like these. I’m gonna go get Mr. RGBistro to buy some cod and do this for dinner… but it’ll have to get a little cooler first.
So warm today! Definitely salad weather…
[K]
@KIm – LOL, it was warm in HB but as soon as the sun begins to set it gets cold – oh alright, in the low 60′s, so cool enough for soup for us beach bums
@blackbookkitchendiaries – The truffle aioli is from Williams Sonoma and it is heavenly! I was recreating a dining experience we had at a restaurant on the harbor in Cannes where they served their famous bouillabaisse along with baguette slices and gobs of garlic aioli.
wow… my mouth is watering right now… i love how you served it with that ciabatta toast and truffle aioli… heaven!
Well, we might not be having any snow around here but no matter… I could go for a bowl of this RIGHT now!! Hmmm… I think I will be heading over to SM seafood to get some fish later this week to make this … I can already taste it !!!
Beautiful photos Priscilla!!
I didn’t have fish stew in like forever! This sounds amazingly tasty! Great photo!
I just adore fish stew…and I don’t make it nearly as often as I should. Thank you for the inspiration. I know what I’m going to pick up at the grocery store tomorrow. Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. May the middle of your week be full of joy and laughter.
This sounds like the perfect base for a bouillabaisse. And with that picture, how could I resist?
There are so many wonderful fish stews from so many different cultures. This one is new to me but I can imagine how delicious it is. GREG
This looks delicious! We’re trying to eat more fish so this will definitely make its way into our rotation soon!
Wow this broth looks to die for. So rich, and the crusty bread looks so perfect dipped in there.
Oh I love fish stews and I am really loving all of this garlic
I will make you prepare you a mushroom dish if you make me some of this
I just made this tonight Priscilla and both me and my husband just LOVED it! Can’t wait to make it again, I added a little extra red pepper flakes, because I like mine spicy. Will make it again for sure! Thanks so much for sharing this one!
-Gina-
@ Gina – Yay, I’m so glad! It’s always good to hear that someone is making the recipes that we post
Thanks for letting me know – you’re such a sweetheart!
Mmm – what a gorgeous looking soup! I’m going to have to try this…I may even still have that Bon Appetite issue – luv this! Where does one find clam juice? I cannot find it in my local markets. Is it usually in a specialty section?
Have a great weekend, Priscilla.
@Cristina – I buy it at the supermarket but always have to ask. Most recently, I think it was in the condiments aisle with hot sauces and Worcestershire sauce. Other times its been in the canned fish section with tuna, etc.