Cuban Shrimp and Rice (Arroz con Mariscos)

About This Recipe

Arroz con mariscos is Cuba's seafood answer to paella, built on the same sofrito base that anchors so much of the island's cooking: onion, green pepper, garlic and tomato, cooked down until sweet and jammy. This version adds a touch of dried chile for warmth without turning the dish spicy, and finishes with a squeeze of lime that cuts through the richness of the shrimp and rice. The technique that makes or breaks this dish is toasting the rice in the sofrito before adding liquid -- every grain gets coated in fat and flavor first, so it cooks up tender and separate rather than mushy. Shrimp go in near the end, since they only need a few minutes to turn pink and opaque; overcooking is the most common mistake home cooks make with seafood rice. A pinch of annatto or paprika gives the dish its characteristic reddish-orange color, standing in for the more expensive saffron used in Spanish versions. Served straight from the pot with lime wedges and a scattering of parsley or cilantro, this is coastal Cuban home cooking -- hearty, a little smoky, and built to feed a table.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 lblarge shrimp(peeled and deveined)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 1green bell pepper(finely diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2tomatoes(diced, or 1 cup canned crushed tomato)
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 0.25 tspcrushed red chile flakes
• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice
• 3 cupsseafood or chicken stock(warm)
• 1bay leaf
• 1lime(cut into wedges)
• 0.25 cupparsley or cilantro(chopped)
• 1 tspfine sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the sofrito

   Heat olive oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and pepper until soft, about 7 minutes.

2. 2

   Add tomato and spice

   Stir in garlic, tomatoes, paprika and chile flakes. Cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Toast the rice

   Add rice and stir to coat every grain in the sofrito, toasting for 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Simmer the rice

   Pour in warm stock, add bay leaf and salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

5. 5

   Add the shrimp

   Nestle shrimp into the rice, cover again, and cook 5 more minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque and rice is tender.

   Pull the pan off the heat the moment shrimp curl into a loose C shape -- a tight O shape means they're overcooked.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let sit off heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, remove the bay leaf, and finish with parsley and lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Mixed seafood: add mussels, squid rings or firm white fish along with or instead of shrimp.

• •

  Smoky version: add a small diced chorizo to the sofrito for extra depth.

• •

  Spicier: double the chile flakes and add a diced fresh jalapeno with the peppers.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of stock or water over low heat, since shrimp toughen quickly if reheated too hot.

Frequently Asked Questions