Arroz a la Marinera Catalán

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide cazuela, deep saute pan, or 32cm rice pan
• •Small mortar and pestle for the picada
• •Fine grater for the tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the shellfish

   Scrub the mussels and pull away the beards. Discard any that are cracked or stay open when tapped. Peel 8 of the prawns, keeping the shells and heads for the stock if you are making it, and leave 4 whole for the top. Salt the squid lightly and pat it dry.

   If your fish stock is weak, simmer the prawn shells and heads in it for 15 minutes, then strain. That gives the rice a real sea taste without buying anything extra.
2. 2

   Start the sofrito

   Warm the olive oil in a wide cazuela or deep rice pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Add 3 chopped garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.

3. 3

   Cook the tomato down

   Stir in the grated tomato, the scraped ñora flesh, the bay leaf, and the saffron. If you have no ñora, use the sweet pimentón and keep the heat gentle so it doesn't burn. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, until the tomato is dark, thick, and almost jammy, and the oil shows around the edges. This is the step that gives the broth body.

4. 4

   Sear the squid

   Raise the heat to medium-high, add the squid, and turn it through the sofrito for 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until the sharp smell has gone and the pan looks glossy again, about 3 minutes.

5. 5

   Add rice and stock

   Stir in the rice and coat every grain in the sofrito for 1 minute. Add 1.2 litres of the hot fish stock, taste for salt, and bring it to a lively simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, moving the pan now and then but not stirring hard. This arroz wants broth, not a crust.

6. 6

   Add seafood

   Nestle in the peeled prawns, the whole prawns, and the mussels. Cook 6 to 8 minutes more, until the mussels open, the prawns turn pink, and the rice is just tender with a little bite. Add more hot stock as needed; it should be loose enough to eat with a spoon. Discard any mussels that do not open.

7. 7

   Make the picada

   Crush the toasted almonds, the remaining garlic clove, and the parsley into a rough paste, a picada, the Catalan finish that thickens and perfumes the broth. Stir it gently into the rice during the last 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Let the arroz rest for 3 minutes, no longer, because the rice keeps drinking. It should still be brothy when it reaches the table. Serve straight from the cazuela with lemon wedges if you like them. Pésalo, no lo adivines, and keep the stock hot. That is how it behaves.

Chef Tips

• •Use bomba or Calasparra rice if you can. They take in broth without collapsing. If you must use arborio, reduce the first stock addition to 1 litre and add more little by little, because it releases more starch and turns creamier.
• •The stock matters more than the number of seafood pieces. A clean fish stock from bones, shells, and a little onion will beat a fancy pile of tired shellfish every time.
• •This is not paella. Do not chase socarrat here, and do not cook it dry. Arroz a la marinera should arrive loose, glossy, and spoonable, with broth still moving around the grains.
• •Frozen cleaned squid is perfectly decent here. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, dry it well, and cook it briefly before the stock goes in so it tastes of the sofrito, not of water.
• •Serve it at once. Rice keeps drinking in the pot, so leftovers will be thicker the next day. Warm them gently with a splash of water or fish stock and call it what it is: good rice soup, not the same dish.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the fish stock up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated, or freeze it for up to 2 months.
• •The sofrito can be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring it back to a simmer before adding the squid and rice.
• •Scrub the mussels a few hours ahead and keep them cold under a damp cloth, not sealed in water.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 525g)