Fideua, the quick Paella

The story of Fideua (fide'wa) as told by the locals is that a fisher in Gandia (30km north of Denia) wanted to make paella on his boat with his catch of the day but didn't have any rice. He used pasta instead and thus the recipe was born.

I like this dish as it is quick to make and will impress any guest.

Serves 4

10 mussels

20  cherry clams

4-8 prawns marinated in 2 garlic cloved minced, 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, ½ tsp chopped Thai red pepper, olive oil , salt and pepper for 1 hour.

4 scallops

2 cups vermicelli

4 roma tomatoes quartered

2 medium onion finely diced

3 garlic cloves minced

1-2 chicken broth cubes dissolved in 1 cup hot water and ½ tsp saffron

½ cup white wine

¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish

Marinate the prawns for 1 hour

In 2 Tbsp oil, sauté the vermicelli on medium heat till golden brown then set aside.

In a paella or frying pan sauté the onion, garlic and tomatoes until the onions are translucent and the tomatoes have broken down. Turn the heat to high and quickly sauté the prawns for 2-3 minutes and remove.

Now add the vermicelli, mussels and clams and the white wine and chicken broth. Cover and reduce to medium cooking for 5 minutes. In the meantime in a very hot cast iron pan with a little oil, season the scallops and place in the hot pan and sear for 1-2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side. Set aside.

After 5 minutes the mussels and clams should be opened, now add the prawns and scallops and  turn the heat off, cover and let sit for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and garnish with the parsley and a few lemon wedges for squeezing and serve.

Give this recipe a try as it only takes 30 minutes.