This 2024 continues the series dedicated to Spain in 19 dishes that began in 2020 with the aim of getting to know the gastronomy of the different autonomous communities and cities of Spain. This May the protagonist is the Region of Murcia and the dish chosen is Caldero del Mar Menor.
Caldero is one of the most emblematic dishes of coastal Murcia. Once a fisherman's dish, it is nowadays the most sought-after guest at the most luxurious tables. The caldero takes its name from the iron vessel in which it is cooked and, if possible on the seashore, it is hung on trivets, a kind of rudimentary tripod, collecting the salty aromas of the sea and, sometimes, a touch of tar.
It is a two-course meal, first the rice and then the fish, just as the fishermen used to do, although they did it out of necessity. There were times when the fish could not be caught and the meal consisted of rice, perhaps consoled with some garlic or a ñora, and other times, when the nets were full, they could comfort themselves with what the sea gave them.
The fish by right is mullet, but it also accepts gilthead bream and, above all, the humble "morralla", a fish without a name, which turns the broth into something sublime. A broth, which, when boiling the rice, makes it such a glorious mouthful, that it makes you fall into one of the seven deadly sins. And, as always, the ñora, the tomatico, the saffron ... And the garlic, a demonic concoction, which makes you almost fall into one of the seven deadly sins.
A yellowish sauce, which contains the good San Juan garlic, its "drizzle" of oil and, although some say it is egg-free, it gives it a special colour. And a squeeze of lemon to keep it fresh.
INGREDIENTS FOR SIX PEOPLE: 5 peppers; 1 head of garlic; 3 tomatoes; 400 g rice; 1 portion of sea bream; 2 litres of fish stock; saffron to taste; garlic to taste.
SOFRITO: Put three spoonfuls of olive oil in the cauldron and fry the peppers without seeds or stalk; take them out as soon as they are golden brown. Fry the fish head in this oil and remove it. In the same oil, fry three cloves of garlic cut into slices and the finely chopped tomatoes. This is the base for our rice.
BROTH: To make the broth, in which the rice will be cooked later, prepare a strong fish broth or stock, and strain it afterwards. Meanwhile, poach the tomato with the garlic and the stock is ready. Crush the peppers with another clove of garlic, working them into a paste. Add a couple of spoonfuls of fish stock to the pot and the contents of the mortar, stirring well until a strong, intense stock is obtained, which is left to reduce for a few minutes. The fish loins are cooked there, and once ready, they are removed and set aside to be served after the rice.
RICE: To make the rice in the cauldron, add the rest of the reserved stock, approximately twice the volume of the rice, and mix it with the stock. approximately twice the volume of the rice and mix with the concentrate inside. Once mixed, set aside half a cup of this stock to heat the reserved fish when it is to be served. Pour the bomba rice into the cauldron and cook for 20 minutes, until it is ready.
THE ALIOLI: This is prepared by crushing two cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle, and adding the oil a little at a time, until an emulsion similar to mayonnaise is obtained, but with the perfect flavour of this sauce, which goes so well with rice dishes. The fish is heated in the stock that had been saved and the rice is served in the cauldron in two portions. First the rice with the aioli, then the fish with the reduced stock sauce.
