Authentic Arroz a Banda: A Time-Honored Valencian Classic
Arroz a Banda originates from the Valencia region and is an iconic recipe made with a combination of two crucial ingredients: 1) Seafood such as shrimp, white fish, and squid, and 2) Valencian Bomba rice cooked in a rich aromatic broth. It is time-honored Valencian cuisine that is often overshadowed by other Valencian rice dishes such as paella.
Equipment
- 35in/90cm Paella pan
- Gas ring, Regulator, and BBQ gas bottle
- Sturdy level table (Wooden pegs make great wedges if you need to level it up)
- Large long-handled flat spoon or ladle
- Aluminum kitchen foil
- Sieve and Ladle (for the stock)
- Large pot with lid (for the stock)
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 3 cups Bomba rice allow ½ cup of rice per person
- 300 g Cuttlefish or squid cut into ½-inch (1cm) pieces
- 300 g Shrimp tails cleaned and prepared
- 300 g White fish fillets
- 1 onion diced fine
- 2 ripe tomatoes grated and skin removed
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 pinch of Saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon Paella Colorant optional
- Salt to taste
- Lemon wedges and aioli for serving
For the homemade fish stock:
- Around 17oz. 500g raw fish offcuts (Raw shrimp heads also work well)
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 carrot chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cloves of garlic whole, smashed
- 1 tomato halved
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Pink Himalayan Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.5 liters of water
Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare fish stock
- Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. Add all ingredients and once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Check flavor and season to taste with some salt. Once ready, use a sieve and ladle to serve stock straight from the pot.Note: Skip this step if you are using store-bought fish stockAround 17oz., 1 onion, 1 carrot, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tomato, 1 teaspoon paprika, Pink Himalayan Salt, 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1.5 liters of water
Step 2 - Prepare the base
- On medium-high heat, add some oil to the paella pan, and once hot, add the onion and fry until golden (around 3-4 minutes).1 onion, 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Next, add the garlic and mix with the onion. Add the grated tomato, colorant, and paprika and mix through. Add the Sepia (or calamari) and cook for 2-3 minutes.2 ripe tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon Paella Colorant, 300 g Cuttlefish or squid
Step 3 - Add the rice
- Add the rice, salt, saffon, and hot fish stock with an approximate ratio of three to one (three ladles of broth for each of rice).3 cups Bomba rice, Salt, 1 pinch of Saffron threads
- Stir through and aim for an even distribution of rice around the paella pan. TIP: Carefully give the paella pan a little shake to help level out the rice.
- Add shrimp and fish on top and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is dry and there are no more bubbles of stock. Keep the remaining stock handy just in case you need to add more around the edges if they start to become too dry.300 g Shrimp tails, 300 g White fish fillets
- The rice will begin to crackle slightly when done.
- Turn off the heat and cover the rice with a large lid or some aluminum kitchen foil. Keep covered for 5 minutes to allow the rice to rest.
Step 4 - Serve
- Remove the foil and serve straight from the pan. Serve your Arroz a Banda with some fresh aioli (allioli in Valenciano), some lemon wedges, and some fresh bread to give the pan a good mop-up.Lemon wedges and aioli
