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Wednesday, 05 September 2007 |
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Basically, this is a paella made with short pieces of noodles (called fideos) instead of rice.
It originated in the Gandia region of Valencia where they know a thing or two about paellas. Many people prefer it to the rice version and I, for one, love it just as much. You’ll need your seafood to be fresh and the stock already prepared. However, we’ll cheat a little to make it quicker but just as delicious. Serves 4. Ingredients 300g chicken, cut into small chunks (I prefer the leg as it has more flavour) 300g squid rings (calamares) 300g cooked prawns, peeled (buy fresh in their shells) 400g fideos – packet must be labelled “fideua” ½ onion finely chopped ¼ red and ¼ green pepper, cut in small pieces 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 medium size tomato, chopped 1 sachet paella seasoning 900ml stock (or water with a chicken cube)
Method Cover bottom of a paella dish (paellera) with olive oil. When hot, add the onions and peppers. Cook for 2 or 3 mins. Add the garlic, stirring occasionally. Add squid rings, cook for a few mins. Add chicken, cook for a further minute. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 1 min. Add the sachet of paella seasoning and mix it well before adding the hot stock. When it starts to boil, add the noodles, give it a good initial stir. Let it all simmer for about 10 mins or until the noodles are cooked and have absorbed all the liquid. Add a little more stock if too dry. Don’t stir the noodles while they are cooking - just hold the handles of the paellera and give it a gentle shake every now and then. When finished, arrange cooked prawns on top. The heat of the dish is enough to warm them. Cover paellera with lid for 5 mins before serving.
Urbano from little britain recommends this wine to accompany your fideua: The Mallorcan bodega Macià Batle makes an excellent red wine labelled Añada. It combines 2 classic local grapes with 2 classic international varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Shiraz). Its seductive velvety texture is complemented with spicy and vanilla hints. Readily available. Affordable. Highly recommended. |