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Origins of the authentic arroz a banda: how to make it and how to accompany it
Are you thinking of visiting the Costa Blanca? Its landscapes, sea and sun leave no one indifferent. We are sure that in these Valencian lands you will enjoy a long and fun vacation. Another of our strong points is the gastronomy. For this reason, we want to mention it. If you are passionate about rice, we encourage you to keep reading this blog. From Nauta PortToday we want to show you the true origins of arroz a banda, but don’t confuse it with paella, they are totally different dishes.
Now you will find out!
History of arroz a banda
Arroz a banda is a typical dish from the Alicante area. Formerly, the fishermen of the coast of Alicante cooked this rice at the end of the working day with the fish that were not sold in the fish market. We could say that they elaborated this rice with the leftover fish.
From here also comes the idea of accompanying it with aioli. With this sauce, the fishermen gave an extra touch of flavor to the dish. It is a very easy to prepare sauce based on garlic and oil.
What is the difference between Valencian paella and arroz a banda?
The main difference between Valencian paella and arroz a banda is in the ingredients. While arroz a banda has fish as its ally, Valencian paella is cooked with vegetables and meat. That is why we say that they are totally different rice dishes. Although both are very tasty.
These are the ingredients you should use to cook arroz a banda:
- 320 g of La Fallera Bomba rice
- 400 g fresh cuttlefish
- 960 ml fish stock or fumet
- Shrimps or prawns for the fumet (optional)
- 2 Italian green peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- Ñoras
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 2 sprigs of parsley
- Saffron strands
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 1 lemon
How to make arroz a banda
Learn how to prepare arroz a banda in 4 easy steps:
- Prepare a picadita with the garlic cloves, the ñoras and grated tomato.
To do this, you will have to chop everything well until you get a homogeneous paste.
- The next step is to prepare a good broth with the vegetables and the morralla (prepared fish) that you have previously bought. Sauté the vegetables and add the fish varieties to make a consistent broth. Then add the water and the picadita and leave it on the fire for 20 to 30 minutes. The longer you leave it to macerate, the more substance the broth will take.
- Strain the broth to be able to cook the rice without chunks.
- Fry in a paella pan or large frying pan a clove of garlic with a little oil, and then add the diced squid or cuttlefish (you can also use another fish, such as grouper). Cook for a few minutes and add some tomato, paprika and some saffron threads. Over this mixture, add the rice and then the hot broth, following the proportion of 1 part rice to 3 parts broth. Cook the rice for 10 minutes over high heat and 8 minutes over low heat. If necessary, add more broth at some point during the cooking, always bearing in mind that when the rice is cooked the broth should already be evaporated.
Hear that? It’s our guts. How hungry!
Here’s how to make an authentic arroz a banda, but you can always come to our restaurant in Denia and enjoy the wonderful views of our coast. We have a wide variety of rice dishes, are you going to miss it?
Book now at Nauta Port!