A note from Sally: I often use monkfish cut into inch by an inch (roughly) pieces instead of mussels. I put the monkfish in with 10 minutes to go. About 8 minutes to go I add shrimp and clams. I use Better Than Bouillon Lobster or Seafood Soup Base for the broth. Sometimes add a little saffron or a little chopped ginger root too. In any event, this is a GREAT recipe.
In the greatest versions of arroz de marisco, rice is cooked in a stock made from the shells and trimmings of as many as ten different types of shellfish, and then the tender morsels of seafood are added at the end. Typically, tomatoes, onions and coriander are the other elements that make up this fantastic recipe, and the flavours come together perfectly. It’s a great dish to put in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in. If you’d like it less spicy, deseed the chilli.
Features: Prawns, Shrimp, Mussels, Clams, Monkfish
Serves: 4
Cook Technique: Pot and pan
Difficulty: Difficult
Total Time: 45 minutes
Source: My Lisbon Cookbook by Nuno Mednes
Ingredients
5 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
A bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ long red chilli, finely chopped
4 ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely grated
200g short-grain white rice, preferably Portuguese carolino, Japanese sushi or Spanish bomba rice, rinsed according to the packet instructions
600ml fish stock or water
40ml white wine
20 mussels (or monkfish), cleaned
20 clams, cleaned
16 large king or tiger jumbo prawns (or shrimp), shelled and deveined
A squeeze of lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Piri piri oil, to serve
Smoked paprika, to taste
Sea salt flakes and ground white pepper
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, onion and fennel and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the coriander stalks, garlic, lemon zest and chilli and cook for a few minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes. Increase the heat to caramelise the tomatoes a little, for extra flavour. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes to toast it. Add the fish stock or water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until almost cooked, about 15–20 minutes.
A few minutes before the rice is ready, add the white wine and tip in the mussels and clams. Cover with a lid and shake a few times. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Discard any unopened shells.
Taste the rice for seasoning, keeping in mind that the mussels and clams will add extra salt. Add the prawns to the rice and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice, a little extra virgin olive oil and the coriander leaves. Serve in shallow bowls, and don’t forget the piri piri oil!
