Seafood paella is one of the most popular paella varieties, not only in Valencia, but also in Andalusia and all along the Spanish coast. Due to the abundance of fresh fish and seafood, this dish is an absolute summer favorite in Spain. Paella de mariscos is prepared with a typical base of saffron-flavored rice, peppers, and tomatoes, but it owes its stunning visual appearance to the flavorful combination of fish, shrimp, mussels, and clams.
It is recommended to prepare this rich dish over a wood fire to infuse it with a delicate smoky aroma.
MOST ICONIC Paella de mariscos
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Arròs negre is a Spanish dish originating from Valencia and Catalonia, and it is the most popular in Castellon and Tarragona. It is made with white rice, squid or cuttlefish, and squid ink, which gives the dish its characteristical black color.
The dish is often enriched with the addition of garlic, onions, fish stock, cubanelle peppers, olive oil, and sweet paprika, and many cooks like to add other types of seafood into the paella pan, such as shrimp and crab.
Fideuà is a colorful Valencian and Catalan dish often described as an interpretation of the popular paella. Similar to its more popular counterpart, fideuà employs a variety of seafood ingredients, but instead of rice, it combines them with thin and short pasta called fideo.
The choice of seafood can include many fish and shellfish varieties such as cuttlefish, monkfish, and shrimps. To prepare the dish, pasta is shortly fried, and only later added and cooked in the flavorful saffron-spiced seafood broth. Like paella, fideuà is cooked in a shallow iron pan and it is typically not mixed in order to allow a crispy crust to be formed on the bottom.
MOST ICONIC Fideuà
All i pebre is a traditional signature dish of Valencia and the surrounding area, although its origin is in the Albufera wetlands near the city. The name of the dish means garlic and pepper, referring to the sauce, a key component of the dish. Other ingredients include eel and potatoes, but the eel can be replaced with other types of fish, while the potatoes are often replaced with bread.
However, the spicy sauce consisting of olive oil, garlic, and paprika is essential. The dish is often prepared in an earthenware bowl, and once done, it's served with bread on the side, which is used for dipping.
Boyitori is a traditional dish originating from the Valencian community. The dish is usually made with a combination of salt cod, potatoes, onions, parsley, olive oil, and salt, if needed. The potaotes are cut into pieces and sautéed with onion quarters in olive oil over high heat.
The cod is cut into pieces and added to the pan, and the mixture is sautéed over medium heat. The mixture is covered with water and simmered until the potatoes are soft. Once done, boyitori is garnished with parsley and seasoned with a pinch of salt before serving.
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