Traditional Spanish Dishes
How to Make Rossejat, a Traditional Recipe from Spain
Thin toasted noodles, cuttlefish and prawns cooked in fish broth until a golden, juicy and slightly firm texture is achieved, with homemade alioli to accompany.
Rossejat is a marine preparation from the Spanish Mediterranean coast where the toasting of the noodles and the final rest result in essential concentration of flavor and achievement of the characteristic texture.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓320 g of fine noodles number 2 or 3
- ✓800 ml of hot fish broth
- ✓250 g of clean cuttlefish in dice
- ✓200 g of peeled prawns
- ✓2 cloves of garlic for the rossejat
- ✓100 g of crushed tomato
- ✓1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- ✓4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- ✓1 bay leaf
- ✓Salt to taste
- ✓Black pepper to taste
- ✓1 clove of garlic for the alioli
- ✓1 egg yolk
- ✓150 ml of mild olive oil
- ✓1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ✓1 pinch of salt for the alioli
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Brown the cuttlefish
Heat a paella or large, shallow skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and cook the cuttlefish for three or four minutes, stirring, until it loses its water and starts to brown. Wait for the liquid to evaporate and remove it to reserve.
- 02
Toast the noodles
In the same paella, add the other two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the noodles and toast them over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they acquire a uniform golden tone without burning. Remove them and reserve them with the cuttlefish.
- 03
Prepare the sofrito
Lower the heat slightly and fry the two cloves of garlic, finely chopped, for a few seconds. Add the crushed tomato, salt, and black pepper. Cook for five to seven minutes, until the tomato loses some of its water and thickens.
- 04
Add the paprika
Add the teaspoon of sweet paprika and stir for a few seconds, avoiding burning.
- 05
Mix the ingredients
Return the cuttlefish to the pan and add the toasted noodles. Mix carefully to impregnate them with the sofrito and place the bay leaf.
- 06
Add the broth
Pour in the 800 ml of hot fish broth and stir once to distribute the pasta. Taste the liquid and adjust the salt if necessary.
- 07
Cook the rossejat
Cook over medium heat for the time indicated on the noodle package, normally between six and eight minutes. Avoid stirring continuously to conserve the noodles separate. If the broth is consumed before they are tender, add a small stream of hot broth; if there is too much liquid, increase the heat for a minute.
- 08
Add the prawns
When there are approximately two minutes left to finish, distribute the peeled prawns on top so they cook with the heat of the mixture without becoming dry.
- 09
Let the preparation rest
Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and let the paella rest between three and five minutes, until the noodles finish absorbing the broth.
- 10
Emulsify the alioli
While the rossejat is resting, place the clove of garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and mild olive oil in a tall glass. Beat from the bottom without moving the blender and slowly raise it when the mixture starts to emulsify, until a thick and creamy sauce is obtained.
- 11
Serve with alioli
Serve the rossejat directly in the paella or in hot plates and accompany with a small amount of alioli on the side or on top, without covering the plate.
- Toast the noodles uniformly and remove them before they darken too much, as they could become bitter.
- Use the broth well hot so as not to stop the cooking.
- Add little salt at the beginning if the broth is already seasoned and correct at the end.
- For a smoother alioli, remove the central germ of the garlic. Work with the ingredients at a similar temperature and add the oil slowly if it takes time to thicken.
- You can substitute the cuttlefish with clean squid, maintaining a similar quantity.
- Let the rossejat rest between three and five minutes before serving.
- If you prepare the broth at home with fish bones and heads, strain it very well before using it.