Arroz de MariscoPortuguese Brothy Seafood Rice

Arroz de marisco is Portugal's seafood rice: clams, prawns and mussels cooked with rice in a tomato and prawn broth, brought to the table so loose it needs a spoon. It isn't paella. Portuguese rice is "malandrinho", meaning soupy and slightly runny, and it's eaten the second it's ready.

What makes it work: a quick stock made from the prawn heads and shells, which is where most of the flavour comes from, and adding the seafood at the very end so nothing overcooks.

The recipe

Arroz de MariscoPortuguese Brothy Seafood Rice

Arroz de marisco the Portuguese way: soupy malandrinho rice cooked in prawn stock with clams, prawns and mussels, tomato, white wine and coriander.

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Prep30 min

Cook45 min

Total75 min

Serves4

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

4

½×1×2×3×

• 500 g raw whole prawns
• 500 g clams (amêijoas), purged (see note)
• 500 g mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 300 g carolino or other medium-grain rice (arborio works)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 fresh or dried piri-piri chilli, or to taste
• 1.6 litres water
• 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
• Salt

Method

1. Peel the prawns, leaving a few whole for the top. Put the heads and shells in a pot with the water and a pinch of salt, simmer for 15 minutes, pressing the heads to release their juices, then strain. Keep the stock hot.
2. In a separate pan, open the clams and mussels: add them with a splash of the stock, cover and cook over high heat for 3–4 minutes. Lift them out as they open and discard any that stay shut. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into the stock.
3. In a large, wide pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, pepper and bay leaf over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until soft.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and chilli and cook for 5 minutes until jammy. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, then add about 1.4 litres of the hot stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. It should stay brothy; add more stock if it thickens.
6. Taste and adjust the salt. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, until pink.
7. Return the clams and mussels, stir in most of the coriander, put the lid on and rest off the heat for 2 minutes.
8. Serve straight away in deep plates, with the rest of the coriander on top.

Notes

Clear ticks

Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.

Getting it soupy

The rice should move on the plate like a thick soup. That's why Portuguese recipes use about 4–5 times as much liquid as rice and serve it immediately: rice keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. If you're not sure, err on the wet side. More on this style in our guide to Portuguese rice dishes.

Which seafood to use

Clams, prawns and mussels are the home version. Restaurants add crab, velvet crab, lobster or langoustines, cooked separately and added with their juices. Squid rings or monkfish chunks also work, added 5 minutes before the end. Our Portuguese seafood guide explains what to look for at the fishmonger.

What to serve with it

Nothing more than bread and a cold Vinho Verde. If you want a starter, amêijoas à Bulhão Pato or camarão ao alho are classic before seafood rice. For a one-pot seafood dish with less work, try cataplana de marisco.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Amazon best seller

Lodge enamel cast iron dutch oven, 6 qt

A best seller for slow cooking: feijoada, arroz de pato broth and Sunday stews.

Tip: Enamelled, so no seasoning needed.

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Amazon best seller

Farberware 6-quart stainless stockpot

A best-selling stockpot for caldo verde, octopus and cooking bacalhau.

Tip: Works on all hobs, including induction.

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Portuguese

Piri-piri chillies from Portugal

Whole dried bird's-eye chillies, the heat behind frango piri-piri and the bottle of chilli oil on every Portuguese table.

Tip: Two packs last a year. Crush them as you need them.

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Portuguese

Costa Nova Brisa stoneware bowl

Portuguese stoneware that's microwave- and dishwasher-safe. The right depth for caldo verde or açorda.

Tip: The Brisa range comes in several colours, so you can mix and match.

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