2023 Vuelta España - Stage 5: Morella to Burriana.
As I reflected on this dish, while finalizing the photo for the blog/Instagram, it hit me: this was pretty close to a paella. I’d known of, and seen photos of, today’s stage-specific dish called Fiduea, but I’d never made it before. Shellfish, stock, but pasta (as opposed to rice), and the color was pretty reminiscent of Paella Alicante from last year's culinary ridealong. In fact, today’s end-stage is only about 60 km north of Valencia (home to Paella) and 160 km north of Alicante (home to the paella mentioned above) and as the story goes, turns out this is a Franken-dish. It was supposed to be a paella until a fisherman (a little over 100 years ago) realized all he had was fideo (pasta) on-hand. So, he adapted, chopping up the skinny noodles, tossed them into the pan, and the rest is history!
Fiduea
Seafood Stock
Shrimp shells and scallop abductors (from Seafood in Saffron Béchamel)
Carrot, rough chop
Celery rib, rough chop
2 bay leaves
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
Aioli
2 garlic cloves, diced
Egg yolk
½ tsp lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fiduea
Medium onion, diced
¾ lb calamari rings
¾ lb shrimp, shell-on
Seafood stock
1 lb fideo noodles (you can sub-in vermicelli or rice noodles), chopped into thirds
Prepare the stock. Place the seafood scraps in a pot set over medium-high heat. Cook until lightly charred, then add in the remaining ingredients and 6 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and boil over high heat until reduced by one-third, pour through a strainer into a bowl and reserve (you should have about 4 cups).
While the stock reduces, prepare the aioli. Place the chopped garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a min-prep and blend for about 10 seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to process until thick and creamy. Reserve.
Once the stock is ready, turn on the broiler with the top rack 6 inches from the heating element.
Add a couple tablespoons to an empty skillet set over medium-high heat. Saute the onion with a pinch of salt. Once the onion has softened (a few minutes), add in the squid rings and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the items from the skillet to a large bowl.
Add in some more oil to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Add in the shrimp, cook for about 2 minutes, flipping half-way through.. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl.
Lower the heat to medium-high and add about 2 tbsp of oil to the skillet, adding in the noodles to toast them. Once golden, add in the stock along with some salt and pepper, and cook for about 8 minutes.
Add in the reserved seafood and toss briefly. Then, place the skillet into the oven and broil until the top layer of noodles is crispy, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately with the prepared aioli.
______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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