Arroz con Mariscos (Peruvian Seafood Rice)

About This Recipe

Arroz con mariscos is Peru's coastal answer to Spanish paella, brought by Spanish colonization and reshaped with local ingredients like aji amarillo and a heavier hand with cilantro. Rice is cooked directly in a seafood-and-tomato base built from sofrito — onion, garlic and aji amarillo paste fried down until deeply fragrant — so every grain turns a warm golden-orange and carries the base's flavor. The seafood, typically a mix of shrimp, squid and mussels or clams, is added in stages, since each cooks at a different speed; adding everything at once means some pieces turn rubbery while others are underdone. A generous handful of cilantro blended into part of the sofrito is what gives the dish its distinct green-gold color and herbal depth, separate from the smokier tomato base. This is a one-pot coastal Peruvian classic, traditionally served on Sundays and at family gatherings, that turns humble rice into a centerpiece dish through the seafood stock built into every stage of cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gshrimp(peeled and deveined, shells reserved)
• 250 gsquid(cleaned and sliced into rings)
• 500 gmussels(scrubbed and debearded)
• 4 cupswater(for shrimp stock)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 largeonion(finely chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspaji amarillo paste
• 2 mediumtomatoes(grated or finely chopped)
• 1 cupfresh cilantro(plus more for garnish)
• 2 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 1 cupfrozen peas
• 1 tspfine sea salt(plus more to taste)
• 1lime(cut into wedges, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make a quick shrimp stock

   Simmer shrimp shells in water for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock; discard the shells.

2. 2

   Blend the cilantro base

   Blend cilantro with 1/2 cup of the shrimp stock until smooth. Set aside.

3. 3

   Build the sofrito

   Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 6-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and aji amarillo paste, cooking 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add tomato and rice

   Stir in grated tomato and cook 3-4 minutes until it darkens slightly. Add rice and stir to coat every grain in the sofrito.

5. 5

   Simmer the rice

   Pour in the cilantro-stock blend and remaining shrimp stock, plus salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook 12 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the seafood in stages

   Nestle mussels into the rice and cover for 5 minutes until they open. Discard any that stay closed. Scatter shrimp, squid and peas over the top, cover, and cook 5 more minutes until the seafood is just cooked through.

   Add the more delicate shrimp and squid last — they only need a few minutes and turn rubbery if simmered as long as the mussels.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the pot sit off heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently, garnish with extra cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Add cubed firm white fish along with the shrimp for an even more varied seafood mix.

• •

  Use clams instead of or alongside mussels depending on availability.

• •

  For extra richness, stir in a splash of coconut milk at the end, a variation found in some northern Peruvian coastal towns.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, as the rice softens over time. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water or stock, being careful not to overcook the seafood further.

Frequently Asked Questions