Els Pescadors ★ 4.5
Els Pescadors in Barcelona's Poblenou is the historic plaça-de-Prim seafood room: arroz a banda, suquet, fresh catch from Vilanova fishermen direct.
History
Fideua emerged in the 1930s on a Valencia fishing boat near Gandia. The crew's cook was making paella and ran out of rice, so substituted dried short fideo noodles. The dish travelled along the Catalan coast and by the 1950s every Mediterranean Catalan-coast town had its own version. The Barcelona reading layers shorter fideo noodles, dry-toasted in olive oil to nutty colour, then a fish-stock simmer with squid, prawns, and rouge fish. The serving comes with aioli on the side to dollop on top. Els Pescadors in Poblenou cooks the most lauded version in the city; the Barceloneta seafront rooms keep close.
Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g short fideos noodles
- 400g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 300g raw prawns, shell on
- 1.5L good fish or shellfish stock, hot
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 tomatoes, grated
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- A pinch of saffron, salt
- Aioli to serve
Method
- Heat olive oil in a wide paella pan or shallow skillet. Add the dry fideos and toast over medium heat, stirring, until deep amber, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion until soft. Add tomato and paprika; cook to a sofrito.
- Add the squid, sauté 2 minutes. Add the prawns, sauté 2 minutes more.
- Return the fideos to the pan, mix with the sofrito and seafood.
- Pour in the hot stock with saffron and salt. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, without stirring, until the liquid is absorbed and the noodle tips stand straight up.
- Rest 5 minutes off heat. Serve with aioli.
Tip from the editors. Do not stir during the simmer; the fideos must stand upright in the dry crust at the end. The bottom should have a socarrat-style colour.
Where to eat fideua
Fideua in Barcelona
Can Sole ★ 4.5
Can Sole in Barcelona's Barceloneta has run since 1903, now in the fourth generation: marinera cuisine, lobster paella with socarrat, suquet de peix.
Signature: Lobster paella, Suquet de peix
Order: The lobster paella for two and a starter of bacalla fritters.
Tip: Closed Sunday dinner and Monday. Book a week ahead for weekend lunches; the paella needs 30 minutes from the kitchen.
7 Portes ★ 4.3
7 Portes in Barcelona's Born has run since 1836: arched rooms, brass plaques on regulars' tables, a paella for each day of the week. Priced at €€€.
Signature: Parellada paella, Catalan cream
Order: The Thursday paella Parellada and the crema catalana to finish.
Tip: Lunch is easier than dinner; the noon paella is held on the menu every day of the week.
Fideua in Valencia
La Riua ★ 4.4
La Riua on Carrer del Mar in Valencia's old town has run a family-tavern rice kitchen since 1978, now in the third generation, with a dozen paellas.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Arroz a banda, Fideua
Order: The paella valenciana or the arroz a banda; the house Utiel-Requena tinto is honest.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The dining room fills with locals by 14:00; reserve ahead.
Casa Carmela ★ 4.6
Casa Carmela on the Malvarrosa beachfront in Valencia has cooked wood-fired paellas to order since 1922, with a 20-strong rice repertoire and a lunch-only.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Arroz a banda, Esgarraet
Order: The paella valenciana cooked over orange-wood embers, ordered when you book.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead for weekend lunch. Lunch only Tue to Sat 13:00-16:00; no dinner.
Casa Roberto ★ 4.5
Casa Roberto on Carrer del Mestre Gozalbo in Valencia's Eixample has cooked Roberto Aparicio's traditional paellas since 1986, with a long chef's record.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Arroz al horno, Croquetas
Order: The paella valenciana ordered ahead, with the croquetas and salmorejo to start.
Tip: Closed Monday all day and Sunday evenings. Reserve 48 hours ahead for paella; the dining room is small.
El Rall ★ 4.2
El Rall on Carrer dels Tundidors in Valencia's old town has cooked paellas to order in a tiled medieval-corner dining room since 1980, with one of the wider.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Fideua, Arroz negro
Order: The paella valenciana for two cooked over wood, or the fideua a banda with seafood.
Tip: Reserve 24 hours ahead for paella. The dining room is small but has an outdoor terrace in good weather.
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