Name: Traditional Portuguese Seafood Rice Arroz de Marisco
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 pots
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pc onion; 3 cloves garlic; 3 pcs tomatoes; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 150 ml white wine; 300 g risotto rice; 900 ml fish broth; 2 pcs bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper; 300 g shrimp; 500 g mussels; 300 g calamari; 1 pc chilli peppers; 1 handful coriander; 4 slices lemon

Step by step process

Preparation

1
For this Portuguese seafood rice, first prepare all the ingredients. Rinse and pat dry the seafood. Discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped, and slice the squid into rings if needed.
2
Finely chop the onion and roughly chop the garlic. Score the tomatoes with a cross, blanch them, peel and dice.
TIP:
Score the tomatoes with a cross, blanch them in boiling water, and quickly cool them down. The skin will easily separate, which is useful when preparing sauces, soups, and other dishes.
3
Heat the fish stock in a saucepan until it is almost boiling, so it stays hot while the rice cooks.

Cooking

4
Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes until soft.
5
Add the garlic, tomato paste and sweet paprika (and the finely chopped chilli, if using) and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
6
Stir in the diced tomatoes, increase the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates.
7
Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, then add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to coat it in the base.
8
Pour over enough hot fish stock to barely cover the rice, add the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Cook gently, adding more stock as needed to keep the rice soupy.
TIP:
Cook the risotto rice gradually, adding hot broth so it is absorbed and releases starch. The result will be creamy and juicy, not dry. You can use this method for similar dishes as well.
9
After about 15-18 minutes, when the rice is almost al dente and still quite wet, stir in the squid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10
Add the prawns and mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns turn pink and the mussels open. Discard any that remain closed.
11
Check the seasoning and consistency - arroz de marisco should be saucy and creamy rather than dry. Add a splash of stock or reduce briefly as needed.
TIP:
After adding the seafood, cover with a lid and briefly steam over low heat. Steaming quickly heats the ingredients and preserves their juiciness without overcooking. This method is also suitable for other seafood or vegetables.
12
Remove from the heat, stir in half the chopped coriander and leave to rest for 2 minutes.

Serving

13
Spoon into deep bowls, scatter over the remaining fresh coriander and arrange a few pieces of seafood on top.
14
Serve with a wedge of lemon for squeezing, which will brighten the sweetness of the seafood.