A traditional dish from the Mediterranean coast, arroz a banda stands out for its intense sea flavour, accompanied by a characteristic golden colour. It is an ideal recipe to share at family gatherings or with friends.
Ingredients:
- For the fish fumet:
- 1 kg rockfish (heads and bones)
- 1 carrot
- 1 leek
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 litres of water
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- For the arroz a banda:
- 500 g bomba rice
- 1.5 litres of fish fumet
- 300 g squid, cleaned and cut into pieces
- 200 g prawns (optional, for decoration)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
- 2 tablespoons of chorizo pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Saffron strands or food colouring (optional)
Elaboration:
- Step 1: Preparation of the fish stock
- In a large saucepan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped carrot, leek and onion and fry for a few minutes.
- Stir in the rockfish and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the water, add the bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and, once it has come to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes.
- Strain the broth and keep warm.
- Step 2: Preparation of the arroz a banda
- In a paella pan or large frying pan, heat a good splash of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped garlic and fry lightly without browning. Add the grated tomato and let it fry until the tomato is well reduced.
- Add the chopped squid and fry until it begins to brown. Then add the sweet paprika and mix quickly so that it does not burn.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of chorizo pepper.
- Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes to soak in all the flavours.
- Pour in the hot fumet, add salt to taste and the saffron threads (or colouring). Cook over a high heat for 10 minutes.
- Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 10-12 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the stock.
- If you decide to garnish with prawns, add them on top of the rice during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Processing time:
- Preparation: 20 minutes
- Cooking60 minutes (including fumet)
- Total: 80 minutes
Suggested presentation:
- Serve the arroz a banda directly in the paella pan for a rustic and traditional effect. You can accompany it with aioli for a more authentic touch.
Additional advice:
- For a more authentic flavour, use rock fish such as scorpion fish, scorpion fish, or galleys for the fumet.
- Do not wash the rice before cooking, as it will lose the starch necessary for the dish to have a good texture.
Calories and other nutritional data:
- Calories per serving: 350 kcal (approx.)
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Proteins: 12 g
- Fats: 8 g
Dare to prepare this delicious arroz a banda at home and surprise your guests. Leave us a comment on how it turned out!
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Impressive the way it looks. I understand that you add the prawns almost at the end or after, because I see them very whole. Is this finished off in the oven?
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, the prawns are put in practically at the end, a few minutes beforehand so that they don't dry out because they are cooked very quickly. We will clarify this in the recipe. Thank you for your help.
As for the oven, there is the option, but I don't use it in this recipe. The process could be similar to this other rice recipe: https://www.elcuadernoazul.es/arroz-al-horno-mar-y-montana/