Bonito Stew With Potatoes, Tomatoes & Oregano
About Bonito: Many people might know bonito in its dried, flaky form and as the basis for dashi, the Japanese soup stock that is the foundation of miso soup. Bonito is an oily fish in the tuna, sardine, and mackerel family and is quite popular throughout the Mediterranean, where it is eaten fresh in many different dishes, from grilled to braised. Bonito has a firm dark or pinkish flesh with a delicious, if robust, flavor, which is stronger than white-fleshed fish.
PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
SERVES 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil divided
- 3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 1 pound / 500g of potatoes cut into 1-inch/2.5-cm cubes
- 14 oz. / 420 g. canned plum tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
- Pinch of chili flakes optional
- 2 pounds or 1 kilo of fresh bonito or tuna fillet cut into 2-inch / 5-cm cubes
- 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley roughly chopped for serving
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved, for garnish
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
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In a pot over medium heat add half the olive oil and the garlic and cook for a few seconds.
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Add the potatoes and sauté them for a few minutes. You do not want to brown them just to flavor them with the garlic.
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Add the wine and the canned tomatoes and stir them in till the alcohol in the wine evaporates.
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Add the broth, salt and pepper to taste, the oregano, and enough warm water to almost cover the potatoes and let it simmer for 10 minutes with the lid closed.
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Add the fish and poach it in the hot liquid keeping the heat on low and the lid on. Poach for 5-8 minutes or until the fish is flaky. Check with a fork or knife and if not ready put the lid back on and continue cooking for a few more minutes checking often.
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Stir in the fresh tomatoes and parsley for a minute before removing from heat.
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Serve with bread in shallow bowls.