Caldero Murciano
Region: Spain, Murcia
Category: Stews
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive
Caldero murciano, literally “Murcian cauldron,” is an iron cauldron used for cooking on fishing boats. The preparation of caldero murciano can be enhanced by looking at the nineteenth century Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla’s painting Meal on the Boat, in the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. Three grizzled fishermen surround a pan under the yawl of their small boat, while three boys (their sons?) eat from the caldero. 
As with many dishes prepared along the coasts of Valencia, Murcia, and Andalusia, the olive oil is first flavored with garlic and ñoras, dried red bell peppers. Because of the scarcity of pigs in Murcia in the Middle Ages, most cooking was done with olive oil rather than pork fat.
Caldero murciana is eaten in two courses. The fish flavors the broth used to cook the rice. The rice should be a little mushy, like a risotto, and is eaten with a skordalia type of mayonnaise sauce . Then the fish is eaten with its own green garlic sauce. The variety of fish is important for achieving full flavor. I provide a number of possibilities so that you will not be limited by seasonality. My recipe is adapted from Alicia Rios and Lourdes March’s The Heritage of Spanish Cooking. The dried red bell peppers can be ordered from www.donajuana.com or by using a mild Mexican chile such as a dried ancho chile.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours
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1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or stew pot, heat 3/4 cup olive oil over medium heat with the ñoras and the heads of garlic and cook until the ñoras are a little soft, about 12 minutes. Remove one of the ñoras, chop, and set aside with 1 head of the garlic.
2. Separate the cloves of the remaining head of fried garlic, peel, put the garlic and the remaining 2 ñoras in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture is in tiny particles. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, then cook the tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Pat dry the fish with paper towels. Cook the fish in the same oil that the ñoras and garlic were cooked in over medium heat for 5 minutes without turning. Pour the processed garlic-and-ñoras mixture over the fish. Add the sautéed tomato to the fish. Add 1 teaspoon of the paprika and the boiling water and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the fish until nearly flaking, about another 10 minutes.
5. Remove the fish with a slotted ladle and reserve, keeping warm. Add the potato quarters to the casserole or pot you cooked the fish in. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove the potato and set aside.
6. Pass the broth in the casserole through a fine mesh strainer. Salt if necessary. Remove 1 cup of the broth and set aside, then pour the remaining broth back into the casserole or pot with the saffron. Bring to a boil and add the rice. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. The rice should look like a risotto when done. Keep covered till ready to serve.
7. While the rice cooks, prepare the sauce for the rice. Peel the second reserved head of garlic and crush in a mortar. Add the boiled potato to the mortar and mash well with the garlic. Transfer to a medium-size bowl and slowly pour 1/2 cup of the reserved fish broth and the egg yolk into the mortar and blend until smooth. While stirring all the time, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until the mixture thickens like mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the rice as a first course.
8. Prepare the fish sauce. In a mortar, pound together the reserved chopped ñoras, chopped garlic, and parsley into a paste. Add the remaining 1/2 cup reserved fish broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and season with salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly and serve on the side with the fish as a second course.
Variation:
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Posted: 01/11/2007
Referenced Recipes:
