Bourdeto Kerkyra (Μπουρδέτο Κέρκυρας)

Bourdeto Kerkyra is Corfu's fish braise, red with pepper and tomato, sharp at the finish, and hotter than a mainland cook usually expects. The region is the dish's surname here: Μπουρδέτο Κέρκυρας means the Ionian pot, not just fish in sauce. Scorpionfish is the old choice because it gives body and holds together, but any firm white fish with bones and skin will behave better than a delicate fillet.

The method that decides it is the red pepper in the oil. Cook the onion down first, then let the tomato paste and hot red pepper stain the oil before any water or tomato goes in. That is where the sauce becomes deep, even, and properly fierce. Sprinkle the heat in late and it stays raw and thin, like an apology.

Once the fish goes in, hands off. You shake the pot, you don't stir it. The fish should arrive at the table in generous pieces, the potatoes stained red underneath, the sauce glossy enough to mark the bread. Good olive oil, and patience. Corfu knew what it was doing.