Equipment
Ingredients
Produce & Aromatics
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Pantry & Spices
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 300 g short fideo pasta
- 5 g sweet smoked paprika
- ⅛ g saffron threads
- 30 g tomato paste
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 800 ml seafood stock
- 5 g fine sea salt
Seafood
- 250 g large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
- 200 g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 300 g live mussels, cleaned and debearded
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 631 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 71 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1211 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 238 mg
- Potassium
- 1105 mg
- Calcium
- 184 mg
- Iron
- 7.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 121 mg
- Phosphorus
- 629 mg
- Zinc
- 4.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 90 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 30 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 9.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.84 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.76 mg
- Niacin
- 10.7 mg
- Folate
- 234 mcg
- Water
- 435 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small saucepan, heat the seafood stock to a bare simmer at approximately 95°C/203°F. Add the saffron threads, turn off the heat, and allow the saffron to steep in the warm liquid.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a paella pan or large wide skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the prawns and squid rings until just opaque and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 60°C/140°F for the prawns, about 2 minutes.
Remove the cooked prawns and squid from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon. Transfer them to a plate and set aside, leaving the flavored oil in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the finely diced onion to the flavored oil and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Stir the sweet smoked paprika and tomato paste into the onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and caramelizes, forming a rich sofrito base.
Add the short fideo pasta to the pan. Stir continuously to coat the noodles evenly in the sofrito, toasting them lightly in the hot pan for about 3 minutes.
Pour the dry white wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the liquid to bubble and evaporate almost completely.
Pour the warm saffron-infused seafood stock into the pan and season with fine sea salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer at approximately 95°C/203°F, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Do not stir the pasta from this point forward to allow a crust to form. Cook undisturbed for 8 minutes.
Nestle the live, cleaned mussels down into the simmering pasta. Cover the pan with a lid or tight-fitting foil and steam until the mussels open wide, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Uncover the pan. Discard any mussels that remain tightly closed. Arrange the reserved seared prawns and squid elegantly over the top of the hot pasta. Cook for 1 final minute to warm the seafood through.
Remove the pan from the heat. Let the fideua rest uncovered for 5 minutes. This allows the remaining moisture to be absorbed and the flavors to fully meld.
Sprinkle the chopped flat-leaf parsley evenly over the dish. Serve immediately straight from the pan, accompanied by the lemon wedges for squeezing over individual portions.
Chef's Notes
- For an authentic fideua experience, achieving the socarrat - the crispy, caramelized layer of pasta at the bottom of the pan - is highly desirable. Listen for a gentle crackling and popping sound in the final minute of cooking.
- If you cannot source traditional fideo noodles, simply take standard thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta and snap it into short, 2-inch segments before toasting.
- Always inspect your mussels before cooking. Discard any with cracked shells or those that remain open when tapped firmly against the counter.
- Serving fideua with a generous dollop of fresh garlic aioli on the side is a traditional and highly recommended accompaniment to cut through the richness of the seafood stock.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Gently reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or seafood stock until warm.
Troubleshooting
Mussels did not open during the steaming process.
Cause: The mussels were dead prior to cooking or the pan was not covered tightly enough to trap steam.
Fix: Discard any tightly closed mussels immediately. Do not attempt to pry them open or eat them.
Prevention: Ensure the pan is completely sealed during the steaming phase and only purchase fresh mussels.
Pasta is mushy and sticking together in clumps.
Cause: Too much stock was added or the pasta was stirred during the boiling phase.
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely, but finishing the dish uncovered over slightly higher heat for 1 to 2 minutes can help evaporate excess surface moisture.
Prevention: Measure the stock precisely and strictly avoid stirring the pasta once the liquid is added.
No socarrat (crispy bottom crust) developed.
Cause: Heat was too low during the final stages of cooking or the pan is too thick-bottomed to transmit heat effectively.
Fix: Return the pan to medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully to ensure it crisps but does not burn.
Prevention: Turn the heat up slightly for the last 60 seconds of cooking, listening carefully for a crackling sound.
Cultural Context
Originating from the coastal city of Gandia in Valencia, Spain, fideua was supposedly invented by a fishing boat cook who creatively substituted noodles for rice in his paella. It has since become a cherished hallmark of Spanish coastal cuisine, celebrated for its robust oceanic flavors and the unique textural contrast of toasted noodles.
