Croatia’s coastline is a beautiful mosaic of medieval villages, ancient olive groves, and picture-perfect islands in the Adriatic. But if you ask locals where Croatia’s real beauty lives, they’ll likely point you to the kitchen where food is a vital thread of their daily life. Our local guides agree and love sharing traditional dishes with guests on tour. When exploring the Dalmatian Coast on our cultural walking adventure, one dish often brings guests closest to the heart of the region: Gregada, a centuries-old fisherman’s stew that’s as soulful as the sea it comes from.
One of the oldest traditional dishes from Hvar Island, it beautifully reflects the humble ingenuity of coastal Croatian life. At its core, it’s a simple fish stew made with white fish, potatoes, garlic, white wine, and olive oil, which are ingredients every fisherman had on hand. But don’t let the simplicity fool you: when prepared with care, Gregada is rich, silky, and deeply flavorful. It’s the kind of dish that evokes stories of long afternoons by the water, where family, wine, and conversation flow freely. Dating back to ancient Greek settlers, who introduced fish-and-potato stews to the region, it is still a staple of island kitchens, where locals prepare it the way their grandparents did and happily offer it to visitors.
Get The Recipe
To create this dish from the comfort of your home, try this recipe (serves 4):
Ingredients:
2 tbsp high-quality olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ lbs firm white fish (like sea bass, monkfish, or cod), cleaned and cut into large chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Water, as needed
Step by Step:
1. Layer the Pot: In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, drizzle olive oil and layer the bottom with half the sliced potatoes and onions. Add the fish, then top with remaining potatoes, onion, garlic, and bay leaf..
2. Add Liquid: Pour in the white wine and enough water to just barely cover the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Simmer Gently: Cover and cook over low heat for 30–40 minutes, gently shaking the pot occasionally (don’t stir—you want the layers to stay intact). The potatoes should be tender, and the fish just flaking.
4. Finish and Serve: Sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with a bit more olive oil before serving. Gregada is traditionally enjoyed straight from the pot, family-style, with crusty bread and a glass of local white wine.
Gregada embodies what makes Croatian cuisine so special: local ingredients, coastal simplicity, and a delicious recipe that’s been handed down for generations. On the islands, it’s still made the old-fashioned way: in a single pot, without fuss, meant to be shared over slow conversation and the sound of waves. When we visit places like Hvar or Korčula on tour, it’s not uncommon to be invited into a family kitchen where this very dish is bubbling away on the stove. And in that moment, you realize: this is more than just a meal—it’s history and hospitality on a plate.
