Bourdeto Kerkyras

Ingredients

• 1kg scorpionfish, or 4 thick cod, monkfish or dogfish steaks
• 150ml olive oil
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 to 2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 2 potatoes, cut into thick rounds
• 250ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lemon

Before you cook

• Scale and gut the fish, or ask the fishmonger to do it, and cut it into thick steaks.
• Slice the onions thinly and chop the garlic.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into rounds about 1cm thick.

Steps

1. Warm the olive oil in a wide shallow pan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook them for 12 minutes, until completely soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the paprika and the chilli flakes.
5. Return the pan to low heat for 30 seconds only, so the pepper blooms in the oil without scorching.
6. Pour in the water and add the salt.
7. Lay the potato rounds into the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Slide the fish into the pan and spoon sauce over each piece.
9. Simmer gently for 12 minutes, until the flesh comes away from the bone.
10. Shake the pan by its handle now and then instead of stirring, so the fish stays whole.
11. Squeeze in the lemon juice and taste the sauce for salt and heat.
12. Rest the pan off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve with bread to soak up the red oil.