Arroz a Banda

This rice with fish dish is prepared dry in the pan. The Valencian expression "a banda" means "apart", indicating that the fish and the rice are cooked separately. Cooking the fish element of this dish creates a fish broth that is transferred to another container to cook the rice without adding other ingredients. The rice is served separately on a plate and the fish, potato and onion, accompanied by an aioli sauce to improve the flavour lost during cooking, make up the second course. It is difficult to find this complete recipe in restaurants nowadays, as modernity and haste have caused only the rice to be served with the aioli.

Fry the shredded garlic in a clay pot with oil. Add the paprika and the water with a bay leaf immediately afterwards. Add the halved onions and potatoes and a little salt to taste. Let cook for 30 minutes. Add the washed and cut fish. Strain the broth and set the rest aside (fish, potatoes, onions and a little broth). Fry the cuttlefish (optional), tomato, paprika and rice in a pan with a little oil for two minutes. Add the strained broth, saffron and salt to taste. Cook the rice. Crush the spicy pepper (sautéed) and some cloves of peeled garlic in a mortar and add to the pan with the fish. Heat for a few minutes and serve as a second course together with the aioli.