Fideuà
When I met my husband, he always talked about 'Fideuà'. He was trying to explain to me in his English what type of traditional dish it was. In my mind I pictured a type of pasta with seafood and when we  arrived in Spain this was one of the first dishes Mamma made for us...and was I wrong! It is a marriage of flavours: seafood, the tangy special fideua pasta, homemade stock and delicate flavouring.

In its origins, as many other dishes typical of the coast, it was a simple dish for sailors. Gandía, and the area of La Safor in general, is the origin that has given it more fame. There is even an annual contest known as the “Concurso Internacional de Fideuà” Fideuà is prepared in a very similar way to Paella, although the basic ingredient are noodles. The broth is prepared with different types of cheap fish, onions and bay leaves. The dish is prepared with this broth and other ingredients previously fried in the same pan: olive oil, angelfish and prawns, garlic, cuttlefish (it took a lot of research to find the exact English name for the fish, which is off course here in Spanish) and grated tomato. Finally, you add the noodles and let the mixture cook until the broth cooks away.

Here is the recipe.

Fideuà

INGREDIENTS:
450 g firm white-fleshed fish fillets, skin removed
450 fideos, or vermicelli noodles (a Japanese noodle will work, I suppose)
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika and a pinch of saffron threads
450 g medium uncooked prawns
125 ml olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
350 ml basic fish stock (always make your own)
24 small mussels, cleaned

300g calamari (cut in rings)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cloves garlic (whole with skin)
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:
Cut the fish into 4 cm/1-1/2 inch pieces. Peel the prawns and remove the veins, leaving 6 unpeeled. Clean the mussels. Crumble the noodles into a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, stir well and return to the boil for 3 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside in a colander. Heat the oil in a paella pan, large frying pan or wok. Add all the prawns and cook for about 5 minutes until pink, stirring often. Remove with a slotted spoon. Fry the calamari for 1 minute and remove.

Add the fish and cook briefly, turning once. Gently stir in the garlic and cook for several seconds. Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, saffron and fish stock and bring to the boil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the mussels and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until they open, stirring often; discard those that do not open. Stir in the peeled prawns and noodles and heat through.

Smooth the surface of the Fideuà with a knife or spoon, then place under a hot grill until a light brown crust forms. Arrange the unpeeled prawns on top.... and serve.

Mamma always make chirla's, which is type of clam, cooked in the leftover stock and loads of garlic to serve with the Fideua...and always extra prawns, because I am her favourite son in law!

THE CHIRLA'S

In my next blog I will show you how to make aioli. It is essential with fedeua and is easy to make. (not really, it is actually one of the most difficult things I've ever made. LOL. - you will see why) Enjoy!!!!!!