Frank Camorra: how to make fideua like the Catalans do

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This was published 8 years ago

Frank Camorra: how to make fideua like the Catalans do

By Frank Camorra

Fideua, a braised pasta and seafood dish, is found in Catalunya in the north-eastern part of Spain. It originated in the 1920s in the city of Gandia and is made with short lengths of dry pasta called fideus. Instead of boiling the pasta Italian-style, the Catalan way is to cook it with a small amount of liquid in a wide earthenware cazuela or paella pan.

I like to season the pan at the beginning by frying the calamari so it has some colour, then removing it before adding the onion. This gives an excellent base flavour when making the soffritto. After adding the pasta, then the fish or shellfish broth, it's just a case of adding the seafood at the right time to make sure it doesn't overcook.

Fideua is a traditional dish native to the  northeastern part of Spain.

Fideua is a traditional dish native to the northeastern part of Spain.Credit: Marcel Aucar

A dab of garlicky alioli, the Spanish version of aioli, is added to each plate before serving.

Fideua

1 medium-sized calamari

60ml extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 brown onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

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2 bay leaves

1 green capsicum, finely diced

2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 pinch saffron threads

300g spaghetti, broken into 3cm lengths

1L fish stock, heated

100ml white wine

6 green prawns

100g clams, cleaned

300g mussels

2 tbsp chopped parsley

4 lemon wedges

Cut the calamari into 3 centimetre square pieces. In a 35-centimetre paella pan or large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the calamari in the oil for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown, seasoning each side. Remove and set aside. Make a soffritto in the same pan by frying the onions, garlic and bay leaves over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has browned. Add the capsicum and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes or until soft. Add the tomatoes and saffron and cook for 15 minutes. Once the tomatoes reach a jam-like consistency, add the spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes. Add the hot fish stock and wine. As the pan comes to a simmer, add the calamari and cook for 4 minutes. Add the prawns, clams and the mussels and cook until the shellfish open. You don't need to stir much, just push the mix around occasionally. Check for seasoning and scatter with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and alioli.

Serves 4-6

Alioli

1 garlic clove

pinch sea salt flakes

2 egg yolks

2 tsp Dijon mustard

75ml extra virgin olive oil

75ml vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

Crush the garlic and salt to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Place in a bowl, add the yolks and mustard and gently whisk together. Combine the oils and while whisking continuously, drizzle them in gradually. Keep whisking until the mixture firms. Check seasoning and mix in lemon juice. Chill until needed.

TIP

You can make the garlic mayo in a food processor if you don't have a mortar and pestle.

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