Catalan fideuà with seafood — the Spanish “paella” with noodles

Invented, according to the legend of the port of Gandia, by a ship’s cook who wanted to “steal” the rice from the captain who loved arròs a banda, fideuà is today the pride of Valencian cuisine: like paella, but with short noodles instead of rice, cooked in a rich fish stock until they absorb all the flavour of the sea.

Its secret lies in two details: the noodles are toasted dry in olive oil until they turn golden, and the bottom of the pan caramelises lightly in the final minutes — the famous Spanish socarrat.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 400 g short noodles for fideuà (fideus; alternative: spaghetti broken into 3–4 cm pieces)
• 300 g large prawns, cleaned
• 300 g fresh mussels, cleaned well
• 200 g squid rings (or cuttlefish cut into strips)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, grated (or 200 g canned tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 litre fish stock, hot
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
• Allioli (garlic sauce with olive oil), to accompany

Preparation

1. Prepare the seafood: wash the mussels and remove the beards; rinse the prawns and squid rings and dry them with kitchen paper.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide paella pan (or a large frying pan) over medium heat. Sear the prawns for 1–2 minutes on each side, remove them and set aside. In the same oil, quickly sear the squid rings and set them aside.
3. In the same pan, add the onion and the red pepper; sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and paprika, stir for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomatoes. Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
4. Add the dry noodles and toast them for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they turn golden.
5. Dissolve the saffron in the hot fish stock and pour it over the noodles. Salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes over high heat.
6. Lower the heat to medium and arrange the prawns, squid rings and mussels on top. Cook for a further 6–8 minutes, until the noodles are al dente and the stock has been almost completely absorbed; in the last 2 minutes raise the heat so the bottom caramelises lightly.
7. Remove from the heat, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges and allioli sauce on the side.

Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4