Gregada
Photo: LilKil · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Gregada is said to be the oldest Dalmatian way of cooking fish, traced by historians to Greek settlers around 380 BCE, though potatoes only arrived in the 17th century. The Hvar version is the canonical one; Split konobas adopted it from the islanders. Konoba Hvaranin, named for the Hvar diaspora, runs the most reliable in-city version.

Common allergens: Fish

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg firm white Adriatic fish (grouper, monkfish or pandora), cleaned and cut into 6cm chunks
  • 1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced 5mm thick
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
  • 300ml dry white wine (Pošip or Vugava)
  • 200ml water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Crusty country bread, to serve

Method

  1. Choose a wide shallow heavy pot. Pour in 4 tbsp of the olive oil and scatter the sliced onion across the base.
  2. Layer half the potato slices over the onion, slightly overlapping. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Scatter half the garlic and half the parsley over the potatoes.
  4. Salt the fish chunks and arrange in a single layer over the potatoes.
  5. Top with the remaining potatoes, garlic and parsley. Tuck in the bay leaves.
  6. Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. Pour in the wine and water; the liquid should come halfway up the potatoes.
  7. Cover and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low and cook 25 to 35 minutes, shaking the pot side to side every 10 minutes. Never stir.
  8. The dish is done when the potatoes pierce easily and the fish flakes at a touch.
  9. Off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice and shake to combine.
  10. Spoon into shallow bowls, finish with a glug of olive oil and fresh parsley. Mop up with bread.

Tip from the editors. The Dalmatian rule is iron: shake, do not stir. Stirring breaks the fish and turns the dish into a soup. Use firm-fleshed fish; salmon and cod fall apart.

Where to eat gregada

Gregada in Split

Konoba Hvaranin ★ 4.5

€€ DalmatianVeli Varos

Konoba Hvaranin on Ban Mladenova in Split is a small-room family konoba, with the local press in the back and gregada as the kitchen's signature.

Why locals goA tucked-away Veli Varos konoba where Split's writers and journalists drink Plavac mali, with shelves of books from regulars and seating capped near 20.

TipBooking is sensible; the dinner sitting goes first.

Directions

Konoba Fetivi ★ 4.8

€€ DalmatianVeli Varos

Konoba Fetivi in Split's Veli Varos is the Bib Gourmand family konoba on Tomica Stine, cooking grilled Adriatic fish and pasticada to a daily Pazar buy.

OrderWhole grilled white fish by weight with chard and potatoes.

TipTue-Sun 15:00-23:30, closed Mondays; book ahead for the early dinner sitting and the best whole fish go by 21:00.

Directions

Villa Spiza ★ 4.5

€€ DalmatianDiocletians Palace

Villa Spiza in Split is the side-lane Dalmatian counter favoured by Spliters, with about 14 seats and a board that turns on the morning Pazar.

Why locals goA tiny counter-only room with a handwritten daily board in a side lane of Diocletian's Palace, easy to miss between the busy Riva-side terraces.

TipFirst sitting at 13:00; queue at the door for the second turn at 14:00.

Directions

Konoba Matejuska ★ 4.5

€€ DalmatianVeli Varos

Konoba Matejuska in Split's Veli Varos cooks the day's market catch in a 19th-century UNESCO-listed stone house with a tight terrace tucked off the alley.

Why locals goA family room in a 19th-century stone house tucked into Tomica Stine; UNESCO-listed building, no signage to speak of, regulars-only feel.

TipCash preferred; go for the 21:30 sitting after the first crowd has rotated.

Directions

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