Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Caldero

Everyone knows about Paella.....the Valencia dish has become famous, and rightly so, in all of it's different guises. But there's always someone who doesn't like squid, or pushes the peas to the side, or ask's Mum to eat their Mussels.

For me, the perfect Sunday (When Real Murcia are a long way away) is to drive down to Cabo De Palos and have a Caldero. This is Murcia's typical rice dish, it's rich and tasty.....just rice with nothing added, the texture of a good Risotto (not dry but able to hold the moisture without it running) and is basically made using a broth that has been prepared by using fish (usually Mujol) and local round peppers (Ñoras). The rice is cooked in the broth after the fish and peppers have been removed. Served with a dollop of Ajo.....you won't want to go out on the pull after this. After you are done with the rice they sometimes put the fish used to make the stock on a plate in front of you....but for me the flavour is in the rice, so I sneer at it....


Photo 1 : BEFORE: Happy days.....Caldero, cold beer, and Real Murcia almost in Primera.

There is some discussion about where the best Caldero is served. At Cabo de Palos you have La Tana, El Pez Rojo, El Mosqui....but my personal favorite is the Miramar, where I had my first taste of Caldero some 20 years ago. Not the cheapest, but for me it's the best. Still the same waiter, still serving the best Calamares i've ever tasted, and will always find me my favorite table up on the balcony even when I'm assured they are full.

So....don't be a tourist and ask for Paella. Go for a Caldero!


Photo : AFTER: I need a siesta!

1 comment:

  1. Eres muy grande Gavin!!!

    Pero este post me ha dado un hambre del copón y desde ayer que me sacaron una muela no he podido comer casi nada...

    Por cierto, este fin de semana estuvimos en London visitando a Juan Ramón y me encantó la zona del rio a la altura de Hammersmith con las casicas con balcones y todos los clubes de remo y esos pubs con terracicas, donde comimos tomando el pedazo de sol que hacía el viernes por tus tierras!

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