Seafood Rice (Arroz de Marisco) — Saucy Portuguese Shellfish Rice

• 500 glive clams (scrubbed and purged)
• 500 glive mussels (scrubbed and debearded)
• 500 gshell-on raw shrimp (heads removed if preferred, shells reserved for flavor)
• 400 gmonkfish fillet (cut into 3 cm chunks)
• 300 gcleaned squid (bodies sliced into rings and tentacles halved)
• 60 mlextra-virgin olive oil
• 1large yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 4 clovegarlic (minced)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 400 gripe tomatoes (peeled and chopped, or use good canned chopped tomatoes)
• 30 gtomato paste
• 200 mldry white wine
• 1.2 llow-sodium fish stock (hot)
• 350 gPortuguese carolino rice
• 9 gfine sea salt
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 1 tsppiri-piri sauce
• 12 sprigfresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems chopped)
• 1lemon (cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Inspect the clams and mussels before cooking, discarding any cracked shells and any open shells that do not close when tapped. Keep the prepared shellfish chilled while you build the base, because fresh shellfish should go into the pot cold and still alive.

2. 2

   Peel the shrimp, leaving a few whole for garnish if desired, and reserve the shells. Put the shells in a small saucepan with 300 ml of the measured fish stock, simmer for 10 minutes, then strain and return this enriched liquid to the remaining hot stock.

3. 3

   Warm the olive oil in a wide heavy pot or cataplana-style pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bay leaves, and 3 g of the salt, then cook for 8 minutes until the onion is soft, sweet, and lightly golden without browning hard.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, black pepper, and piri-piri sauce, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 7 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens into a rusty-red refogado.

5. 5

   Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any concentrated tomato and onion. Simmer for 3 minutes so the alcohol cooks off and the sauce tastes rounded rather than sharp.

6. 6

   Stir in the carolino rice until every grain is coated with the tomato base. Add 900 ml of the hot enriched stock and the remaining 6 g of salt, bring to a lively simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rice does not stick.

7. 7

   Add the squid and monkfish, folding them gently into the rice without breaking the fish. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, adding up to 300 ml more hot stock as needed to keep the dish loose and soupy.

8. 8

   Add the clams, mussels, and peeled shrimp, then cover the pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. The shrimp should turn pink, the mussels and clams should open, and any shellfish that remain closed after cooking must be discarded.

9. 9

   Remove the bay leaves and check the consistency before serving. Arroz de Marisco should be wetter than risotto, so stir in a final 100 ml of hot stock or water if the rice has tightened too much.

10. 10

    Fold in most of the chopped cilantro and let the pot stand off the heat for 3 minutes. Serve immediately in warm bowls with the remaining cilantro and lemon wedges, because the rice will continue absorbing broth as it sits.