This recipe hails from the beautiful region of La Rioja. Which is famously known for their elegant wines and stunning architecture. This dish is tipically served as a second course for la comida (lunch) or even for dinner. Either way, serve it next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish Rioja for the ultimate meal.
For this recipe I used a cod fillets I bought frozen and thawed out. But you can also use fresh cod if you like, as well as any other type of firm white fish. For the tomato sauce I finely grated fresh tomatoes, but you can substitute for 1 can (14.5 oz/410 G) of tomato sauce or passata.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: When you first fry the cod, you don´t want to fully cook it through. Just give it a light golden crust on both sides. As you will finish cooking the cod later on in the recipe. This dish will hold for up to 4 days in the fridge in an air-tight container.

Rioja-Style Cod with Sauce | Bacalao a la Riojana

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949cFuHwIpI&t=12s

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
• 2 cod fillets 8 oz / 250 grams each
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour 30 grams
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 tomatoes
• 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers
• 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.50 grams
• 1/2 cup white wine 120 ml
• 2 bay leaves
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper
• handful fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the onion, thinly slice the cloves of garlic, cut the roasted red bell peppers into thin strips, finely grate the tomatoes and pat dry the cod fillets with paper towels, then season them with sea salt & black pepper and coat them all around in the flour
2. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
3. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add in the cod fillets, cook for 2 minutes per side or until lightly golden, then remove from the pan and set aside
4. Using the same pan with the same heat add in the sliced onion and garlic, mix with the olive oil, after 4 to 5 minutes add in the paprika, quickly mix together, then add in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes, then add in the grated tomato, roasted red bell peppers and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in the bay leaves and simmer
5. After 10 minutes and the grated tomato has slightly thickened, add the cod fillets back into the pan, give them a gently flip so they are coated in the sauce, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cod fillets are cooked through
6. Transfer into serving dishes and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!

To make the tuna meatballs I used canned tuna in olive oil. But you can always use canned tuna in water. Either way, make sure to drain any excess liquid from the tuna. This will help in shaping the meatballs so they hold their shape and not fall apart.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: You can make the tuna meatballs ahead of time and add into the fridge. They will hold for up to 5 days. When making tuna meatballs, if you see your mixture is too wet to shape the meatballs, just add in more breadcrumbs.

Spanish-Style Spaghetti with Tuna Meatballs

Watch Albert preparing this recipe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJY92ft8Ukg

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA

• 8 oz spaghetti 225 grams
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.50 grams
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme .50 grams
• 1 can tomato sauce 14.5 oz / 410 grams
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz / 410 grams
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 8 grams
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

FOR THE TUNA MEATBALLS

• 2 cans tuna in olive oil 5 oz / 148 grams each
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs 40 grams
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped onion 8 grams
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 8 grams
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

Instructions

TO MAKE THE TUNA MEATBALLS

1. Drain the cans of tuna into a fine sieve with a bowl underneath, flake the tuna, then add into a large bowl, crack in the eggs, add in the breadcrumbs, finely grate the clove of garlic and add in 2 tbsp chopped onion, then season with sea salt & black pepper and mix together until well mixed, once well mixed, push down on the mixture to make a paste-like texture, if your mixture is too wet, add in more breadcrumbs, then shape into meatballs, each one a little smaller than a golf ball

TO MAKE THE PASTA

1. Fill a stock pot a little over half ways with cold water, season generously with sea salt and heat with a high heat
2. At the same time, heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the extra virgin olive oil
3. Once the oil is hot, add in the tuna meatballs, cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly golden fried all around, then remove from the fry pan and set aside
4. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in 1 small onion finely chopped and 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped, mix together, after 3 to 4 minutes and the onion is translucent, add in the paprika and thyme, quickly mix together, then add in the canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, chopped parsley and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together until well mixed, then add in the tuna meatballs, gently mix together so each meatball is coated in the sauce, then lower to a low-medium heat and simmer
5. Once the water comes to a boil in the stock pot, add in the spaghetti, cook until al dente (check package instructions), then transfer the spaghetti directly from the stock pot into the pan with the sauce, shaking off any excess water
6. Turn off the heat in the sauce and gently mix together until well mixed
7. Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: What really flavors this dish is the saffron and fish broth. Make sure to use a high-quality fish broth, as it really takes this soup to the next-level. The one I used is from Spain, and is as good as it gets from store-bought fish broth. For the rice, I used Spanish round rice. But you can use any type of rice you like. Either way, you want to add in the seafood into the stock pot about 3 minutes before the rice is fully cooked. In my case I add the seafood after cooking the rice for 15 minutes, as it takes 18 minutes to cook. So make sure to check the package instructions in the rice you are using.

To see Albert making this recipe go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sB2myMYB4gv

Spanish Fish and Rice Soup | Sopa de Pescado y Arroz

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 2 slices baguette 1 inch / 2.50 cm thick each
• 5 cups fish broth 1200 ml
• 1/2 cup Spanish round rice 100 grams
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
• 1 lbs cod fillets .50 kg
• 15 raw jumbo shrimp peeled & deveined
• handful fresh parsley
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

Instructions

1. Roughly dice the onion, cut the red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice the carrot (peeled)
2. Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
3. After a couple minutes add in the slices of baguette and the cloves of garlic (peeled), fry the ingredients between 2 to 3 minutes or until golden fried all around, then remove from the stock pot and set aside
4. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in the chopped vegetables, mix with the olive oil, after 4 to 5 minutes and they´re lightly sauteed, season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in the broth and sprigs of thyme, raise to a high heat, once it comes to a boil, add in the rice, mix together, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat
5. Meanwhile, add the fried bread and garlic into a food processor, along with the saffron, 2 tbsp fresh parsley (8 grams) and a pinch of sea salt, pulse until you get a paste-like texture, set aside
6. Pat the cod fillets and shrimp dry with paper towels, season both with sea salt & black pepper, then cut the cod fillets into bite-sized pieces and each shrimp in half
7. After simmering the rice for 15 minutes, remove the lid, add in the bread & garlic mixture, mix together, then add in the pieces of cod, place the lid over the pan, after 2 minutes add in the shrimp and cover, simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes or until all the seafood is cooked through
8. Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, serve at once, enjoy!

From Albert: This recipe dates back a couple hundred years and comes from ¨La Cocina Pobre¨, the poor kitchen. As peasants would create rice dishes just like this one, that where affordable, healthy and filled your body with so much goodness.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: For this recipe I used long grain rice. But you can also use short grain, basmati or even arborio rice. Just make sure to check the package instruction so your rice to liquid ratios are correct.
Watch Albert prepare this recipe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMJcuxlZ04

Spanish Poor Man´s Rice | Arroz a lo Pobre

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 35 ml
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 2 tomatoes
• 15.5 oz can chickpeas 440 grams
• 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme .5 grams
• 2 cups vegetable broth 480 ml
• 1 cup long grain rice 190 grams
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• handful fresh parsley
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the broth into a sauce pan, along with the sprig of rosemary, heat with a medium heat
2. At the same time, heat a large fry pan with a medium heat
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, roughly chop the garlic, finely chop the red & green bell peppers, finely chop the carrot (peeled) and finely grate the tomatoes
4. Add in the olive oil into the hot pan, along with all the chopped vegetables (except for the grated tomatoes), mix the vegetables around so they´re coated in the olive oil, saute for 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the paprika and thyme, quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomato and simmer
5. Meanwhile, rinse the rice and drain the chickpeas and rinse as well
6. After 3 to 4 minutes and the grated tomato has slightly thickened, add in the rice, chickpeas and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together until well mixed
7. Remove the sprig of rosemary from the hot broth and pour the broth into the fry pan, give it one final mix, then place a lid over the pan and lower to a low-medium heat
8. After about 15 minutes and there is no broth left, remove from the heat, using a fork fluff the rice, then transfer into serving dishes, garnish with sliced hard boiled eggs and fresh parsley, enjoy!