Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Main Dishes > Arroz a Banda – Rice Recipe from Alicante
All Recipes, Main Dishes / May 23, 2017

Arroz a Banda – Rice Recipe from Alicante

– Arroz a Banda – Rice Recipe from Alicante –

Whenever anyone thinks of a Spanish rice dish, Paella is always king. Not that there´s anything wrong with that, eating a classic Paella Valenciana is always a special treat. But today we´re not talking Paella Valenciana, we´re introducing a new type of rice dish, one which is hundreds of years old, Arroz a Banda. This rice dish has an incredible flavor, but it has always been overshadowed by the classic paella. This recipe hails from the province of Alicante, in the region of Valencia, where Paella was born. ¨Arroz a Banda¨ translates to ¨plenty of rice¨, telling us that the main star of the dish is the rice and the saffron. Arroz a Banda is cooked just like a Paella, except the rice is added to the pan before the broth. This recipe consist of rice, simple seafood, and saffron, among other ingredients. Watch our video below on how to easily make Arroz a Banda, and remember to make this dish while being with family or friends, as it is a special dish to share with others. Salud!

Watch the Video Below on How to Make Arroz a Banda – Rice Recipe from Alicante

Arroz a Banda – Rice Recipe from Alicante

Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Fish Broth
  • 1 Cup Round Rice
  • 15 Jumbo Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 1 Cleaned Tube of Squid
  • 1/2 Cup Tomato Puree
  • 4 Cloves of Garlic Minced
  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Lemon
  • 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
  • Pinch of Saffron in Powder Form
  • Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Start by cutting the jumbo shrimp and the cleaned tube of squid into 1/4 inch thick pieces
  2. Add 3 cups of fish broth to a sauce pan and heat with a medium-high heat
  3. Grab a Paella pan (you can use any type of frying pan if you dont have a paella pan) heat with a medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup of extra virgin Spanish olive oil
  4. Once the oil gets hot, season it with sea salt and add the cut squid and shrimp to the pan
  5. After cooking the squid and shrimp for about 3 minutes add 4 cloves of minced garlics to the pan and mix with the seafood
  6. 30 seconds after adding the garlic add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the pan and mix everything together
  7. Next add 1/2 cup of tomato puree, sea salt and mix everything together
  8. After about 3 minutes add 1 cup of rice to the pan, 1 packet of saffron in powder form and mix everything well
  9. 5 minutes after adding the rice to the pan, add the 3 cups of fish broth you have boiling into the paella pan
  10. Start mixing the rice with the broth by creating little pockets in the pan, do not stir the rice
  11. Continue to create little pockets to distribute the rice throughout the pan
  12. About 10 minutes after adding the rice to the pan, lower your fire to a LOW heat
  13. After about 5 minutes or so, when you have very little broth left, turn off the burner, cover the pan with foil paper and a dish towel, and let rest for about 5 to 7 minutes
  14. After about 5 to 7 minutes remove the dish towel and the foil paper from the pan and garnish the pan with some lemon wedges
  15. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recipe by Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork


Disclosure: At Spain on a Fork, we offer affiliate links to help you find what you need to re-create our recipes. If you like what we do, you can support us through our chosen links, which earn us a commission, but you still pay the same price. Learn more here.

Share:

4 Comments

  1. Make Keto-Friendly Paella: A Delicious Spanish Dish For The Ketogenic Diet – simpleandsane.com

    […] or sofrito sauce, is the secret sauce that turns Alicante seafood rice into a magical dish. Because it is made in a paste, it is the foundation for any traditional paella […]

    24 . Jan . 2023
  2. Paelle: A Popular Italian Dish – Elmeson-Santafe

    […] secret of Alicante seafood rice is the Salmorreta, which is what makes it such a delicious dish. In Spanish cooking, you use this […]

    28 . Sep . 2022
  3. Edmundo Alfaro

    Great recipe, easy and fast way to do it, one thing to note here, your English is impeccable
    Gracias

    17 . Apr . 2020
    • Spain on a Fork

      Thanks for the comment Edmundo 🙂 much love!! un saludo desde Castellon

      17 . Apr . 2020

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating