Arròs a la Sitgetana (Sitges-style rice) Traditional Recipe

For starters, xató; and for main course, a good rice. It sounds good, doesn’t it? In fact, Sitges boasts a rich gastronomy closely linked to seafood and traditional sailors’ rice dishes. Among them, one of the highlights is the famous arròs a la sitgetana, a recipe recovered by Emerencià Roig i Raventós in his book “El Sitges dels nostres avis” (“The Sitges of our Grandparents”), published in 1934 and based on oral testimonies portraying life in Sitges from the 19th century onwards. What makes this rice dish unique is its combination of ingredients from both sea and mountain cuisine, together with a very special and truly local ingredient: Malvasia de Sitges wine.

So, how do you make arròs a la sitgetana (Sitges-style rice)?

Whether you would like to prepare it yourself or simply discover how it is made, here is our recipe for arròs a la sitgetana — because here, we share everything. Put oil and butter in a saucepan and add the ribs. Let it cook until it starts to colour.
Add the cuttlefish and cook until the water evaporates. Then, add the finely chopped onion and the green and red peppers. Let it fry for a while. Then add the blanched tomatoes (finely chopped, without seeds) and the Malvasia from Hospital de Sitges, and let it reduce. Then add the peas, the fish stock and the oil, and leave on the hear until it comes to a boil. To make the chopped mix, put the salt, saffron, almonds and a garlic clove in a mortar, and crush them until fine. Next, add the mix to the pot and leave to cook for 10 minutes. When the rice starts to boil, add the salt. Add a langoustine, a sausage and a prawn for each person, and three clams per serving. Finally, put the pot in the oven at 220 degrees for 5 minutes.