Fideus with Clams & Garlic Mayonnaise

Fideus is a Spanish cousin of paella where toasted pasta replaces the rice. In this version, broken vermicelli gets sauteed golden brown in olive oil, then simmered in a homemade fish stock until tender while fresh clams steam open on top. A dollop of garlic-chive mayonnaise on each bowl finishes the dish with a rich, creamy contrast.

The homemade fish stock is what separates this from a quick weeknight dinner. Onion, leek, white wine, fish bones, parsley, peppercorns, and bay leaf simmer for an hour and reduce down to 6 concentrated cups. That stock carries every ounce of seafood flavor into the pasta as it cooks. Skipping this step and using water or store-bought broth would cut the flavor in half.

Toasting the broken pasta in oil before adding the stock is the defining technique of fideus. Those golden-brown edges add a nutty, slightly smoky flavor that boiled pasta can never achieve. Five minutes of sauteing with constant attention transforms plain vermicelli into something with real character.

The garlic mayonnaise (essentially a quick aioli) gets mixed an hour ahead so the raw garlic mellows in the buttermilk. Fresh chives add color and an oniony freshness that complements the briny clams.

Chef Tips

• Ask your fishmonger for white fish bones. They’re usually free or very cheap and make vastly better stock than bouillon cubes
• Stir the pasta constantly while toasting to prevent burning. Thin pasta goes from golden to scorched in seconds
• Push the scrubbed clams down into the broth before covering so they’re partially submerged and steam evenly
• Discard any clams that don’t open. Closed clams after cooking are dead and potentially unsafe

Variations

• Add mussels alongside the clams for a mixed shellfish fideus
• Stir a pinch of saffron into the stock for a golden, more traditionally Spanish version
• Use angel hair pasta if you can’t find fideos or vermicelli