Fideua (pasta paella)

A delicious dish made with short pasta, seafood and a tomato-based sauce.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 bronzini (whole - also called dorada, often sold as sea bass in UK - ask for fillets removed but keep bones)
• 1/2 lb shrimp/prawns (225g, shell on)
• 1 stick celery
• 1 carrot (small, cleaned but no need to peel or take ends off)
• 2 stems parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• 5 tbsp olive oil (approx)
• 1 Spanish onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes (400g, 1 can)
• 2 small pinches (around 15 threads saffron)
• 12 oz pasta (340g, fideos/broken spaghetti)
• 1/2 lb clams (225g)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Remove the shells from the shrimp/prawns and keep the shells.
2. 2Make the stock by placing the fish bones, shells of the shrimp, celery, carrot, parsley stems, sprig of thyme and a small wedge of the onion in a pot and cover with water. You'll need to add around 4 cups/960ml water to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer (covered).
3. 3Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining onion, pepper and garlic.
4. 4Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the fish and shrimp gently until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. 5Clean out any stuck-on skin etc from pan, add the remaining oil and then the onion and pepper.
6. 6Cook for around 10min, stirring now and then (turn lower after a few mins), then add paprika, garlic and fennel seeds.
7. 7By now the stock should be ready; strain it to remove all the bones and vegetables and add the saffron to infuse.
8. 8Cook the onions and spice mixture for 5 more minutes then add tomatoes.
9. 9Cook a further few mins then add fideos (pasta). Stir well so that they are covered by the oily mixture and cook another couple minutes.
10. 10Add the stock (3cups/750ml) to the pan, stir then leave to cook at a simmer for 10min.
11. 11Stir then add the clams, pushing them under the liquid and pasta. Allow them to cook a minute and add the shrimp/prawns and fish as well. After about 5 mins the clams should open and all should be ready.