Caldero is the local fish and rice stew, the dish everyone orders on their first visit to a restaurant here. The rice cooks in rockfish stock and the meal comes in two servings: first the fish, whole or in pieces, with alioli on the side; then the rice from the same pot, having absorbed that rich stock.
The name comes from the iron pot, or caldero, in which fishermen traditionally cooked it on board, using small fish that wouldn't sell at market. It's still made the same way today, just in a kitchen.
Quick fact
A properly made caldero (the local fish and rice stew) takes 35 to 45 minutes from ordering. If it arrives in ten, be wary: the rice was probably cooked earlier.
How to spot a good one
The list
- 1Order for at least two people; almost nowhere makes it for one.
- 2The rice served second should be moist and creamy, neither soupy nor overcooked, with a clear fish flavour.
- 3The fish should be local rockfish, not farmed; Cabo de Palos, with its own fish market, is the easiest place to find it that way.
- 4The alioli should always come separately, never mixed in beforehand; a little dish of homemade sauce is a good sign.
Eleven local places serve it daily, not just on request, mostly in Cabo de Palos and along the stretch of Gran Vía closest to the fish market. Book in August: there's a waiting list even on weekdays.