Arroz de marisco

Cook it at home: Arroz de marisco, brothy Comporta-style seafood rice

Good arroz de marisco is made in two steps: a real stock from shells, then a short, careful cook of the rice so each grain stays firm in a loose, soupy pot. Buy shell-on prawns with heads, and do not skip the stock.

Pans and tools

• Wide heavy pot or cazuela, 30 cm (12 in), with a lid
• Large pot for the stock
• Fine sieve
• Wide pan with a lid for the clams
• Ladle

You’ll need

• For the stock: shells and heads from 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) large head-on prawns, 1 small onion, halved, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf, 1 stalk celery, 4 parsley stems, 1.6 litres (6 1/2 cups) water, 1 teaspoon salt
• The seafood: the 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) peeled prawns from above, 1 small crab (about 500 g / 1 lb) or 4 swimmer crabs, cut in pieces, 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) clams, soaked 30 minutes in salted water, 300 g (10 oz) monkfish tail, cut in chunks (optional)
• For the rice: 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 bay leaf, 1 dried chilli or a pinch of piri-piri, 400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, grated and skins discarded, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 120 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) Carolino rice, or arborio if you cannot find it
• To finish: a big handful (about 30 g) fresh coriander, chopped, lemon wedges, salt, black pepper

Steps

1. Make the stock. Fry the prawn shells and heads in 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat for 4 minutes, until pink and smelling of the sea, pressing the heads to release the fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay and parsley, then the water and salt. Simmer gently 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the solids. You need about 1.2 litres (5 cups). Keep it at a bare simmer.
2. While the stock cooks, open the clams. Put them in a wide pan with 3 tablespoons of water, cover and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Discard any that stay shut. Strain the liquor through a coffee filter or cloth and add it to the stock. Keep the clams in their shells.
3. Cook the crab pieces in the simmering stock for 8 minutes until bright orange, then lift them out and set aside. This also adds sweetness to the stock.
4. Make the sofrito. Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot or cazuela over medium heat. Add the onion, bay and chilli with a pinch of salt and cook 8 minutes, until soft and golden, not brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato and tomato paste and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomato is jammy and the oil separates at the edges.
5. Pour in the wine and boil 1 minute. Add the rice and stir 1 minute, so every grain is coated and shiny.
6. Pour in 1.2 litres (5 cups) of the hot stock, stir once to settle the rice, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer. Do not stir again. Cook 8 minutes, until the rice is about half done and the surface just shows grains.
7. Add the monkfish and crab pieces, pushing them into the rice. Cook 5 more minutes. The rice should be tender with a slight bite and swimming in a thin, savoury broth. If it looks dry, add a ladle of hot stock.
8. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, lay them on top and add the clams. Cover and cook 3 minutes, until the prawns are pink and opaque.
9. Turn off the heat, scatter the coriander and rest, covered, for 3 minutes. Taste for salt. Serve in the pot with lemon on the side.

Contains: ['crustaceans', 'molluscs', 'fish', 'sulphites'].

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