Caldeirada de raya. Galician traditional recipe

How to make a scallop stew .  

One of the most famous fish recipes from the coastal areas of Galicia, and specifically from the Rías Baixas is the raia en caldeirada.

In the fishing town of Portonovo (Pontevedra) they celebrate the ” Festa da Raia ” at the beginning of the fishing season . 

In addition to being “caldeirada” in this town, they prepare it in different ways, such as it can be fried, baked, grilled or breaded, taking advantage of its versatility.

Perhaps the ray is not well known in other parts of Spain, but in Galicia it is one of the most appreciated fish, certainly at home it is a classic.

This fish is very tasty, white meat, soft and compact, with the advantage that its structure is cartilaginous and does not have a skeleton or bones.

Therefore it is perfect for cooking and eating without the worries of finding an annoying thorn, perfect for children at home to eat fish.

The success of the recipe of course lies in the quality of the fish, look for a good example in the market or in the fish shop, the best fish in the Atlantic (colder waters) whose underside is a bright pinkish-white color.

But it is  the caldeirada  that makes the dish one of the most appreciated in Galician gastronomy, a preparation so common in Galicia that outside of it it is known as “Galician style” .

The secret to success usually lies in the method of preparing it that I explain in the recipe. I hope you like it and prepare it at home, you will tell me.

Preparation of the caldeirada de raya

1. We choose a large casserole for this “ caldeirada ” , where the fish and the rest of the ingredients are cooked extensively.
2. We start by peeling the potatoes (better Galician) and cut them into quarters, making sure that the pieces have a similar size.
3. We also peel the onion and cut it into six, resulting in large segments.
4. Bring abundant water to a boil, salt with coarse salt (to taste) and add the potatoes and onion to the casserole. Depending on the hardness of the potatoes we will have them more or less time cooking, around 15-20 min
5. We cut the two wings of the stripe in half, obtaining 4 servings. We wash the pieces to remove impurities or traces of blood, lightly salt and add to the casserole.
6. It is recommended that they are not cooking more than 5-6 minutes, so as not to miss the fish and lose its qualities.
7. We remove the fish from the fire. Let it rest in the cooking water for 3-4 minutes, time that will take us to make the garlic.

Preparation of the allada. Final presentation of the caldeirada de raya

1. Pour abundant extra virgin olive oil (3/4 parts of a glass) in a wide frying pan and heat over medium heat.
2. We are going to use the two cloves of garlic with skin. We hit them a good blow to explode.
3. With this technique we achieve that the oil has more flavor and that the garlic does not explode and cause a mess in the kitchen.
4. When the oil reaches temperature, add the garlic cloves and the dice of the daub (if you have succeeded).
5. It is very important that the oil is not very hot because we want the garlic to be fried but it should never be burned. When we see that they are gilding and at the same time the point is disintegrated. We remove the pan and let it warm.
6. With the oil almost cold, we add a tablespoon full of Paprika de la Vera, which we integrate little by little trying not to burn in any case.
7. It should have an orange and shiny appearance. We pass the garlic to a bowl or sauce boat and here we can give it a touch by adding a splash of white wine vinegar.
8. We carefully remove the potatoes, the pieces of onion and the stingray, which we place in a wide source.
9. We serve hot on the table, accompanied by the garlic. So each person / diner can pour over the amount they want.

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog.

You can see all the photos of the step by step of this recipe for  classic stripe in this album.

What is the daub

In addition to the ray, another of the “peculiar” ingredients that you will find in this dish is the daub. Considered by many Galician chefs as essential for the success of this recipe.

• The daub is the white fat that lines the pig’s intestines. In slaughter, this fat is extracted, salted, and rolled into a cylinder-shaped bundle. Then it is hung and allowed to dry in a cool place until the appropriate time for consumption has passed. At least 30-40 days.
• Generally in Galicia it dries in the kitchens, allowing it to smoke and therefore it acquires that characteristic yellow-white color.
• It is an ingredient widely used and important in preparing traditional dishes: Galician broth , the Galician stew  or “allada”. In the frying of wild river trout and even in the preparation of  pancakes .

Tips for a fluffy stripe stock

• This type of usual accompaniment for Galician fish (hake, conger eel, monkfish, cod or turbot) is relatively simple. It consists of an   “allada” (garlic) that we must   prepare with a good paprika from La Vera and a quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Another method to do the “allada”. If we have time we can use this technique, more typical of modern restaurants than traditional ones.

1. In a saucepan, pour a glass (200 ml) of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat.
2. We take 3 garlic cloves with skin, which we explode and add to the oil, they must be well submerged.
3. We confit at low temperature (20-30º, number 2 in a glass) for about 3 hours. We turn off and let rest overnight.
4. The next morning, we strain that oil and use it to make the garlic with the paprika.