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Seafood Rice with Tomatoes and Green Chile (Arroz a la Tumbada)

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Cuisine
Mexican
Seafood Rice with Tomatoes and Green Chile (Arroz a la Tumbada)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil (olive oil tastes great here, but vegetable oil will do)
  • 2 cups Roasted Tomato Salsa (recipe linked above)
  • 1 cup rice (medium-grain gives the best texture, but long-grain is fine)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 pound meaty, skinless fish fillet (mahimahi, halibut, sea bass and the like), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 12 big mussels (about 6 ounces) or small clams (about 12 ounces), scrubbed, any beards pulled out
  • A big sprig of epazote (if you have it)
  • Salt
  • 12 medium-large (about 8 ounces) shrimp, peeled and deveined if you wish
  • About 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 or 2 limes, cut into wedges

Steps

  1. 1

    In a large (4-quart) saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. When it's hot, scoop in the Roasted Tomato Salsa and stir it as it cooks down until the mixture starts looking shinier, about 5 minutes. (This fuses the flavors and enhances the sweetness of the tomatoes.) Add the rice and stir it slowly for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan so that nothing burns or sticks. Now it's time to add almost everything else: chicken broth, cubes of fish, mussels or small clams, and a big sprig of epazote. Taste and season with salt (usually about 1⁄2 teaspoon if the broth is salted, 1 teaspoon if it's not).

  2. 2

    When the liquid comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and set the timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, taste a little of the rice: if it's still a little crunchy at the center, re-cover the pot and cook it for a few minutes longer, then test again.

  3. 3

    When the rice is just barely cooked through, turn off the heat and gently stir in the shrimp. Re-cover the pot, set the timer for 5 minutes, then give the broth a taste and season it with a little more salt if necessary. Stir in the chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley. Ladle the mixture into big bowls and serve it with lime wedges for each person to squeeze on al gusto.

Source: rickbayless.com·Own this recipe or photo? Request removal

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