Arroz de Camarão simply means rice with prawns. The dish is not dry like paella, but rather creamy, sometimes almost soupy, with a deep umami base and the sweetness of prawns and tomatoes.
There are similar rice dishes in Spain (see here, for example), but there is a big difference:
Portuguese rice is almost always long grain rice, often of the Carolino variety. It absorbs flavours well and takes on a slightly creamy consistency, while remaining fluffy.
Spanish rice, on the other hand, is short grain rice (such as Bomba). It absorbs a lot of liquid, but remains firm and develops little creaminess.
Arroz de Camarão is somewhere between a stew and a risotto, but it does not need to be stirred constantly. Instead, the rice is left to soak in an aromatic broth until it is soft but still has some texture – ideally with a slight bite. If you do not have Portuguese rice, use another long-grain rice that is rich in starch. Only basmati rice would be less suitable due to its distinctive flavour.
To get the full flavour, it is important to use whole prawns, preferably larger ones with heads and shells, as this is where most of the flavour is to be found. The size of prawns is indicated by numbers such as 16/20 and 31/40. These numbers stand for ‘prawns per pound’. The smaller the numbers (16–20 prawns per pound), the larger the prawns. 20/30 is a good size for this dish.
Separate the heads and shells from the meat. In addition, chop typical stock vegetables into large pieces: washed but unpeeled onions, carrots, leeks, celery stalks or parsley roots work well here. Add unpeeled but slightly crushed garlic cloves. If desired, you can also add a bay leaf.
The heads and shells are sautéed in hot olive oil, stirring constantly, until they release an intense aroma and take on a rich colour.
Then add the vegetables and water according to the quantity specified at the end of the recipe. Broths should not be salted at this stage.
Let this simmer gently for an hour. You could then strain the broth, but for even more flavour extraction, we purée it coarsely with a hand blender…
…before passing through a fine sieve to remove any bits of head and shell. We highly recommend this extra step.
In addition to this rich stock and the shelled prawn meat, you will need at least onion, garlic and tomato. We also like to add red pepper and a little fresh chilli for a nice kick. If you can’t find very ripe and aromatic tomatoes, use tinned ones instead. You can also add a little tomato concentrate.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the prawn meat for approx. 30 seconds on each side until it turns a delicate orange colour. Remove the prawns from the pan immediately and set aside so that they do not become too firm.
Chopped onion is sautéed in oil until translucent, then chopped garlic is added. At this point, we also add finely chopped chilli without seeds.
Next, add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. We also add red peppers to the pot. If you want to use tomato paste, add it now as well. Season carefully with paprika, a little salt and black pepper.
Then stir in the rice and deglaze with a little dry white wine, allowing it to boil off completely. As with risotto, the aim is to infuse the rice with plenty of flavour. We also add a little Noilly Prat, but this is not the traditional method (it tastes sensational, though).
Now stir to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice or has evaporated, add the homemade stock – 1 litre for 4 people. You can always add more stock (or water) later to adjust the consistency of the dish to your personal taste. Stir everything well, bring to the boil once and then cook gently on a very low heat with the lid on for 20 minutes.
The rice should not be completely cooked yet and should still be firm in the centre. Now you can season it with salt to taste. Then return the prawns to the pot and simmer gently for another 5 minutes until the rice has the perfect consistency – creamy but still with a little bite. If you like, you can now add more liquid.
Finally, stir in roughly chopped parsley or coriander. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice over each deep plate.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients ( for 4 people):
For the stock:
4 tbsp olive oil
Prawn shells and heads from 500 g medium to large prawns
1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 stick of celery, 1 leek (or parsley root, celeriac)
3 cloves of garlic
Optional: 1 bay leaf
1.5 litres of water
For the rice:
4 tbsp olive oil
Meat from 500 g prawns
1–2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
Optional: some fresh chilli, seeds removed
2–3 very ripe tomatoes or ½ tin of tomatoes (200 g)
Optional: 1 tsp tomato concentrate
1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp paprika powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 g rice (Carolina or other long-grain rice)
0.2 l dry white wine
Optional: 0.1 l Noilly Prat
½ bunch of parsley or coriander
1 lemon
