The Recipe · No.736 · Fideuà

Fideuà, and Where to Source It

It is paella's noodle cousin, and the flavor starts by toasting the little fideos in oil until they are deep golden before any liquid goes in, which gives the dish its nutty backbone. Like paella, you do not stir once the stock is in, so the noodles stand up on their ends and the bottom catches into a socarrat crust.

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Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026

Prep25 min
Cook25 min
Makes4 servings
CuisineSpanish
Part One
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Fideo noodles
Short thin noodles toasted dark before cooking; that toast is the flavor. Angel hair broken up works too.
12 oz
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Mixed seafood
Shrimp, squid, and mussels layered in near the end so they stay tender. Wild-caught seafood is sweetest.
1.5 lb
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Sofrito
Onion, garlic, and tomato cooked down as the base. Fresh aromatics, bought local.
to taste
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Seafood stock
A good shellfish stock is the cooking liquid and half the flavor. Homemade from the shells is best.
4 cups
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Saffron and paprika
Saffron for perfume and smoked paprika for color and depth.
to taste
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One list, with a link to where to buy each one.
Part Two
The Method
  1. Toast the noodlesToast the fideos in olive oil until deep golden and nutty, then set aside.
  2. Build the sofritoCook the sofrito with saffron and smoked paprika until jammy in a wide pan.
  3. Add stock and noodlesAdd the hot stock and toasted noodles, spread them flat, and do not stir.
  4. Crisp and restNestle the seafood in near the end, let the base catch into socarrat, and rest before serving with alioli.
Part Three
The Toolkit

Paella pan · Wooden spoon · Stock pot

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