Shrimp simmered into saffron-orange rice with peppers, tomato and a gentle chile kick.
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.
Serves 4
Heat olive oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and pepper until soft, about 7 minutes.
Stir in garlic, tomatoes, paprika and chile flakes. Cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce, about 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir to coat every grain in the sofrito, toasting for 2 minutes.
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.
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.
Let sit off heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, remove the bay leaf, and finish with parsley and lime wedges.
Warm the stock before adding it -- cold liquid shocks the rice and slows even cooking.
Don't lift the lid during the 15-minute simmer; escaping steam is what cooks the rice through.
Pat shrimp dry before adding them so they sear slightly instead of steaming.
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.
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.
Rice dishes cooked with seafood and a tomato-based sofrito reflect Cuba's Spanish colonial roots crossed with the island's abundant coastal seafood, echoing paella but adapted to Cuban pantry staples like annatto and green pepper rather than saffron and artichokes.
Yes -- thaw them fully and pat very dry first, otherwise the extra water will make the rice soggy right where the shrimp sit.
Regular paprika plus a small pinch of ground cumin gets you close to the same warm color and flavor, though the smokiness will be milder.
This usually means too much liquid or lifting the lid during cooking, which lets steam escape unevenly -- stick to the stated stock ratio and keep the pot covered the whole simmer.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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