Arròs a Banda
The rice cooked in caldero broth and served on its own, 'a banda' (apart) from the fish. It began on Santa Pola's fishing boats as a way to use the stock before it reached shore, and today is one of the province's most distinctive rice dishes.
💡 Local tip: Always ask for allioli on the side; the depth of flavour comes from the fish stock, not the sauce.
The name says it all: 'a banda' means the fish is served apart, as a second course, while the rice takes the lead in the first, cooked in the same fish-and-seafood stock. It began on the boats of Santa Pola's port, where fishermen made the fumet on board using the fish with the least commercial value, then cooked the rice in that stock once ashore.
It's a close relative of caldero, sharing the same base stock, but here the rice is served loose and dry, letting the concentrated flavour of the fumet do all the work. It remains one of the rice dishes that best identifies this coast's fishing-village cooking.
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