Chef Dimitra
Aegean Island Chtapodi me Kritharaki (Χταπόδι με Κριθαράκι)
Aegean island octopus, tomato, red wine, and toasted kritharaki share one pot, so the pasta drinks the briny sauce and stays glossy instead of turning heavy.
Culinary Explorer
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Bianco Kerkyras (Μπιάνκο Κέρκυρας)
Created by
Corfu's bianco is fish, potatoes, garlic, olive oil and lemon, kept pale on purpose. No tomato, no flourish, just the Ionian pot doing its work.
Main Dishes
Greek
Comfort Food
Weeknight
Special Occasion
20 min
Active Time
35 min cook•55 min total
Yield4 servings
Bianco Kerkyras is Corfu's white fish stew, and the region is the dish's surname. It is not red, not spiced, not crowded with vegetables. Fish, potatoes, garlic, olive oil and lemon are enough, with wine in the pot and a sauce that stays pale because that is the whole point.
The method that decides it is gentleness. You cook the potatoes first until they almost give, then lay the fish on top and shake the pot instead of stirring. The potato starch, olive oil and lemon make the sauce cloudy and glossy on their own. If you stir with a spoon, you get broken fish and mashed potatoes. Still good to eat, yes, but not bianco.
Use the firmest white fish you can buy that day. Corfiot cooks have made this with scorpionfish, cod, grouper, hake, whatever the boats and the market allowed. Λίγα και καλά: a few good things, and good ones. I don't invent it. I find it, I test it, I write it down, so the next cook can make the same pale, sharp, comforting pot without guessing.
Bianco belongs to Corfu and the Ionian Islands, where Venetian rule from 1386 to 1797 left Italian names and techniques inside Greek kitchens. Its name comes from the Italian bianco, white, marking the absence of tomato and the pale lemon-garlic sauce that sets it apart from the red fish stews of other Greek regions. Older Corfiot versions often used fish from the rocky Ionian coast, especially scorpionfish or cod, with potatoes added to turn the pot into a full family meal.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
firm white fish
Quantity
900g
cut into large pieces
waxy potatoes
Quantity
800g
peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
120ml
garlic cloves
Quantity
8
thinly sliced
dry white wine
Quantity
180ml
water or light fish stock
Quantity
240ml
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
80ml
bay leaves
Quantity
2
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
plus more for the fish
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped, for finishing
lemon wedges (optional)
Quantity
4
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| firm white fishcut into large pieces | 900g |
| waxy potatoespeeled and sliced into 1cm rounds | 800g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 120ml |
| garlic clovesthinly sliced | 8 |
| dry white wine | 180ml |
| water or light fish stock | 240ml |
| fresh lemon juice | 80ml |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| fine sea saltplus more for the fish | 1 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped, for finishing | 2 tablespoons |
| lemon wedges (optional)for serving | 4 |
Equipment Needed
- •wide shallow lidded pot, 28 to 30cm
- •fish spatula or wide serving spoon
Instructions
- 1
Salt the Fish
Pat the fish dry and season it lightly with salt. Set it aside while you start the potatoes. Big pieces matter here, because small pieces break before the potatoes are tender.
- 2
Start the Potatoes
Choose a wide, shallow pot with a lid. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic, potatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes gently so they are slicked with oil, then pour in the wine and water or fish stock.
- 3
Simmer Until Tender
Bring the pot to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender but not collapsing. Shake the pot now and then instead of stirring. The starch from the potatoes is what thickens the bianco, and a spoon will break the slices before the sauce has body.
Keep the heat moderate. Bianco should stay pale, so don't let the garlic brown. - 4
Add the Fish
Lay the fish pieces over the potatoes in one layer. Spoon a little liquid over them, cover again, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes cleanly but still holds its shape.
- 5
Finish with Lemon
Take the pot off the heat. Pour in the lemon juice and tilt the pot in slow circles so the oil, lemon and potato starch make a pale, glossy sauce. Taste for salt. Let it rest 5 minutes, then finish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Chef Tips
- •Choose firm white fish, not delicate fillets that fall apart. Cod, hake, grouper, sea bass or scorpionfish are right. If the fish is poor that day, cook lentils or beans and wait. The right method on sad fish still gives you a sad pot.
- •Do not brown the garlic. Bianco means white, and browned garlic pulls the dish away from Corfu into another kitchen. Warm it with the potatoes and liquid, and let it soften quietly.
- •Serve it with country bread for the sauce and a glass of dry white wine. The leftovers are good warm, not hot, but reheat them gently in a covered pan so the fish doesn't tighten.
Advance Preparation
- •Ask the fishmonger for large firm pieces and keep them chilled until cooking.
- •Slice the potatoes up to 2 hours ahead and keep them covered in cold water, then drain and dry them before they go into the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 500g)
Calories
525 calories
Total Fat
28 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
23 g
Cholesterol
95 mg
Sodium
890 mg
Total Carbohydrates
39 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
43 g
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