Fish Stew (Croatian Hvarska Gregada)

This is a typical Croatian dish, one of those recipes where a few fresh ingredients can transport you to distant shores. Just head to the fish market and get your hands on a good-looking pair of fish. Mediterranean sea bass (aka Branzino or Loup de Mer) is the traditional fish of choice. But, any fresh fish will do. You’re looking for a white fish, preferably whole. What looks good, what smells the freshest? That’s the fish you’re after. The rest of the shopping list is short, just some potatoes, onions, garlic, and white wine. Add a few grape tomatoes, if you’d like, and make sure to have plenty of rosemary and parsley on hand. Serve with a glass of good white wine and fresh crusty bread.

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
4 medium (about 1½ lbs) yellow potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, left whole and unpeeled
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 whole (about 2 lbs) Mediterranean sea bass, cleaned, scaled, and cut crosswise into halves
½ bottle dry white wine
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 dried bay leaf
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot with lid or Dutch oven. Add the sliced onions and sweat down for 1-2 minutes.

Add the fish, potatoes, garlic, and tomatoes and season well with salt. Add white wine to cover and tuck in the rosemary and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the fish is cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Don't stir, as you will likely break up the potatoes and fish, just shake the pot periodically to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Allow the soup to rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to further meld. Remove the rosemary stem and bay leaf. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley. Bring the pot to the table and serve family-style with crusty bread and additional olive oil, if desired.