Brudet
“A whole-fish-and-shellfish Adriatic stew simmered in white wine, tomato, garlic, parsley, and olive oil with the fish bones left in for flavor. Served with mămăligă-style polenta — the cornmeal soaks the broth and balances the rich seafood-and-tomato. The Croatian coast's defining fish dish from Pula to Dubrovnik.”
Where it comes from
Brudet (also brodet, brujet, brudettin, depending on the dialect) is the Adriatic fish stew that varies village by village. The Croatian version uses mixed-fish — typically white-fleshed monkfish or scorpionfish plus mussels, shrimp, and squid — and is always served alongside polenta in Istria and northern Dalmatia, alongside white bread in southern Dalmatia. The 'fish-bones-in' tradition is essential — they release gelatin that thickens the broth. Eaten communally from one pot in the kitchen.
On the plate
Spoon brings up a piece of tender white fish (still on the bone for flavor — pick the bone out as you eat), a mussel in its open shell, a slice of squid, a half-shell prawn, all in a tomato-wine broth that's been thickened by fish gelatin and concentrated by reduction. Each seafood reads differently against the consistent tomato-garlic-parsley background. Polenta soaks up everything.
How it works
Keeping fish bones in is the brudet structural principle — bone gelatin releases over the cook and thickens the broth without flour or roux. Adding seafood in time-staggered order (fish first, then squid, then shellfish) accounts for different cooking times so nothing is over- or undercooked. The 'no aggressive stirring' rule preserves fish chunk integrity — only pan-shake.
Variations
Istrian style finishes with a splash of malvazija white wine vinegar. Dalmatian inland version uses freshwater carp instead of sea fish. Roving fishermen's version adds whatever was caught that day plus a hot chili. Modern restaurant deboned version is faster but loses the depth.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 5
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓35 min active · 40 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 115 min
Clean 800 g mixed white-fleshed fish (monkfish, scorpionfish, sea bass), cut into 5 cm chunks bones-in. Clean 300 g mussels (debeard, scrub). 200 g squid rings. 200 g shell-on prawns.
- 29 min
Heat 5 tbsp olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Sauté 2 finely chopped onions 8 min until golden.
- 32 min
Add 4 chopped garlic + 1 small dried chili. Cook 1 min.
- 48 min
Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste; cook 3 min until rust-colored. Add 400 g passata + 200 ml dry white wine + 400 ml fish stock or water + 1 bay leaf + 4 parsley stems + 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper.
- 512 min
Bring to bare simmer. Add fish chunks bones-in first; spoon broth over. Simmer gently 10 min — DO NOT stir aggressively, just shake pan to prevent sticking.
- 612 min
Add squid; simmer 5 min. Add prawns and mussels; cover, cook 5 min until mussels open. Discard any unopened.
- 72 min
Off heat, stir in 3 tbsp chopped parsley and a generous final drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze a quarter lemon over.
- 85 min
Serve directly from pan, ladled over warm polenta or thick-sliced bread.
