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How to make an original ARROZ A BANDA PAELLA from Valencia, Spain

Original Paella bring you a new and exquisite Original Paella RECIPE from Valencia Spain, «L’ARROS A BANDA» or “ARROZ A BANDA”, is a dish of rice cooked in fish stock, typical of the coastal area of Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana) and Murcia (Region of Murcia), Spain. It is popular up to Garraf, Barcelona (Catalonia). It is sometimes confused with paella from Valencia.The name » A BANDA » comes because rice is eaten apart from fish, (apart = «a banda» ) and it has its origin in the peculiar way of serving this dish that traditionally has a resemblance to the traditional Madrid stew, in the sense that the foods used to make the broth are served as a second course, this time accompanied with «ALL I OLI » or » AJO- ACEITE», which is essential in these dishes and it provided to the seafaring people, calories that couldn´t obtain otherwise, in addition to the antibiotic properties of garlic.

Basically the original recipe is to make paella with a cheap fish broth with many spines called «moralla». This fish didn’t have value in the market and it just constituted the livelihood of poor fishermen, who reserved the best parts for sale. And afterwards they generated a second course with the fish used to make the broth. In an excellent and logical evolution of this dish, «moralla» can be replaced by pieces of first class fish, that will give to our second course more finesse and flavor such as monkfish.

1.- INGREDIENTS AND PROPORTIONS

By way of guidance the paella exposed is 6 full rations. Let´s quantify the ingredients for 4 diners whose proportion can multiply to make it bigger:
  • 1 Monkfish 
  • 2 Onion 
  • 2 Potatoes 
  • 500 g Peeled prawns 
  • 1 Cuttelfish 
  • 2 Tomatoes 
  • 400 gr / 14,11 oz rice
  • 8 tablespoonful oil
  • 1 little tablespoonful paprika 
  • A pinch of saffron otherwise saffron dye 
  • 2 Cloves of garlic, 1 egg (To make “ajo-aceite” or “all i oli”) 
  • Salt
 

Time:

Preparatión time: 20 minutes     

Cooking time: 40minutes    

People: 4 dinners

3.- Preparations:

The name «A BANDA» comes because rice is eaten apart from fish, (apart = «a banda»).
 
This is a typical Mediterranean rice dish. The recipe consist in making the paella with the fish broth and some garnishes (eg cuttlefish and peeled prawns). And afterwards generate a second course with the ingredients used to make the broth. (in our case monkfish, potato and onion) served with “ajo-aceite” or “all i oli”, salsa essential for this dish.
 

FRESH GOOD FISH, RICH BROTH!

Wash the monkfish head, remove the skin and eyes. 
In a large saucepan bring water to boil.
 
Add potatoes, onions and monkfish head. Boil for 20 minutes .
After 20 minutes of cooking add monkfish. Boil for 10 minutes and turn off heat.
Strain the broth to use for «arroz a banda» paella .

READY, SET, GO!

Add some oil that serves to level the pan … the oil should be centered.
Add some salt too, and light the fire!

When the oil is hot, add the cuttlefish. We start to fry.

KEEP FRYING!

 
When the cuttlefish get brown, add the peeled prawns to fry them. We do like that because cuttlefish need more time to fry.

After that, add the grated or crushed fresh tomato and fry it for a few

FRYING RICE!

On this point add the rice and let it saute, stirring for about two minutes.

After that add the paprika while continuing to stir up to blend well with the rice

ADD FISH BROTH, SEASON AND COOK


Add 800 mL fish broth, we add twice the broth than rice
Season with salt, the amount will go to taste but it is important to note that fish in itself is already salty, you should keep taste during the process. 

Add saffron and stir to blend. No stir again not to break the rice grain.

After 20 minutes of cooking, the paella should be dry and the rice cooked, let rest and ready to eat. Serve in a plate next to «all i oli» or garlic-oil.

After 20 minutes of cooking, the paella should be dry and the rice cooked, let rest and ready to eat. Serve in a plate next to «all i oli» or garlic-oil.