Fideua is a Spanish dish from Catalunya, in the northeastern part of Spain, that is sort of a cross between risotto and paella. It’s made with short lengths of dried pasta called fideus, which can be found in the Hispanic foods aisle of most supermarkets. I like to make fideua with hearty fish like monkfish, grouper or swordfish, but you could also use shellfish such as shrimp, scallops, or lobster. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz. to 1 lb. of firm-fleshed fish such as monkfish, swordfish or grouper, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 18 small clams (such as Manila) or mussels or a combination of both, cleaned and debearded
• 1/2 onion, peeled minced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped (or 1 cup tomato puree)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 7-oz. packages of fideo pasta (find it in the Latin/Hispanic aisle of supermarkets)
• 4 cups seafood, chicken or vegetable stock (homemade seafood stock is preferable, if possible)
• 1 tsp. paprika 
• a pinch of saffron threads or ¼ tsp. turmeric

Method

1. Put the stock into a medium saucepan. Add the paprika and saffron to the stock and heat to a simmer medium heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove the stock from the heat.  
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a paella pan or large (12″-14″) ovenproof skillet. When the oil is hot, add the fish and cook, stirring, for about 3-5 minutes or until golden.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the grated tomatoes, garlic, onion and salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the fideo pasta to the monkfish mixture and stir.
5. Add the simmering stock to the monkfish mixture in the pan and stir well.
6. Submerge the clams and/or mussels, hinge end down, into the fideo mixture. Cook without stirring over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until the fideo pasta is tender and the shellfish open.
7. To finish the fideua, place in the oven under a broiler for a few minutes to toast a little. Discard any clams or mussels that haven’t opened after broiling.