At Konoba Boškinac on the island of Pag, they stick to one key rule: don‘t complicate things. The golden rule that many other taverns should follow, which too often turn characteristic tavern cuisine into something else. But that‘s a whole other topic.

When working with top-quality, fresh ingredients, the most important task is to showcase them in the best possible way. Not to smother them, but to give them space. That is exactly what they masterfully do here. They get the maximum out of local ingredients, creating pure and powerful flavors. Our recent visit to the wine cellar and tavern confirmed this, and one dish was a perfect example of this approach.

Tables in the winery

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The tavern gained worldwide fame after a visit from Anthony Bourdain, who was cooked for by the owner himself, Boris Šuljić. Today, the story is even more layered. The head chef of the entire estate is Matija Bregeš, one of the best Croatian chefs. He and his team earned the Boškinac fine-dining restaurant a Michelin star back in 2020, and in addition to working in the restaurant, he also oversees the tavern. The kitchen there is very successfully run by chef Tomislav Mić. He was the one who cooked for us during our visit. And how well he did.

Boris Šuljić and Matija Bregeš

Goran Sebelic/Cropix/Cropix

Of all the dishes, the homemade shrimp pasta stood out in particular. It was an excellent example of simple yet powerful tavern cuisine. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the shrimp firm and full of the taste of the sea, and the whole dish was rounded off with an exceptionally rich sauce. The dish was given an extra touch by island samphire, a wild aromatic herb whose strong character perfectly completed the story of sea and land on the plate. Although the piece of fatty dry-aged rib eye with vegetables was also excellent, it was this dish that showed the strength of perfectly prepared, fresh ingredients.

Aged rib eye

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Since Matija Bregeš is not a chef who jealously guards his secrets, but gladly shares them, we asked him for the recipe. He shared it with us, but with one key rule that also applies in his kitchen. The ingredients must be impeccably fresh. Without that, he warns, it‘s not even worth trying. That is the only prerequisite for bringing a piece of the island tavern experience to your own table.

Shrimp pasta

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HOMEMADE SHRIMP PASTA

You will need:
300 g fresh shrimp
130 g homemade pasta
100 ml homemade tomato sauce
100 ml buzara stock
2-3 cloves of garlic
20 g butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
20 ml cognac
salt and pepper

Preparation:
First, clean the shrimp and make a stock for the buzara from their shells and heads. Heat olive oil in a pan and gently sauté the garlic, then add the shrimp and lightly fry them on all sides. Deglaze with cognac, then add the tomato sauce and prepared stock. Let everything cook together for about 7-8 minutes so that the sauce reduces and the flavors combine. While the sauce is simmering, cook the homemade pasta in salted water, drain it, but save a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and briefly stir to combine everything. If needed, add a little of the reserved cooking water for extra creaminess. At the end, stir in the butter to round out the sauce and add shine. Add the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.