Name: Arroz con Mariscos (Peruvian Seafood Rice)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Rice, rinsed; 1½ cup Water, for cooking rice; 120 g Prawns, peeled and deveined; 100 g Squid, cut into rings; 100 g Mussels, cleaned; ½ cup Fish Stock, warm; 1 tbsp Ají Amarillo Paste, stirred smooth; ½ cup Onion, finely chopped; 2 clove Garlic, minced; ½ cup Tomato, finely chopped; ⅓ cup Green Peas, fresh or frozen; ⅓ cup Red Bell Pepper, diced; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed; 1½ tbsp Neutral Oil, for sautéing; ¾ tsp Salt, divided; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, freshly ground if possible

Arroz con Mariscos (Peruvian Seafood Rice)

55 mintotal

45 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Cook the rice with water and 0.25 tsp salt until just done. Spread it on a plate for 10 minutes so the grains firm up slightly.
10 min
Heat the neutral oil in a wide pan. Add the onion and cook until soft, then add the garlic, tomato, red bell pepper, and ají amarillo paste.
Cook the mixture for 4–5 minutes until thick and aromatic.
4–5 min
Add the prawns, squid, mussels, fish stock, remaining salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked.
4–5 min
Add the cooked rice and green peas. Toss gently until the rice is coated and the peas are hot.
Finish with lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

The rice should be separate but moist, and the seafood should be tender and just cooked.

Getting it right

Tip

Add the seafood near the end; overcooked squid and prawns become rubbery.

What to serve it with

Serve hot with lemon wedges and a simple onion salad.

Common mistakes

The seafood is rubbery.: Four or five minutes is the whole cooking time and the squid will be first to toughen. Everything goes in at once here, so cut the squid a little larger than the prawns to even out the timing.
The rice turns to a stodgy mass.: Cook it separately, spread it out to firm up as the recipe says, and fold it in at the end. Rice simmered in the seafood base absorbs too much liquid and breaks down.

Substitutions

Mussels — Use extra prawns or squid if mussels are unavailable.
Fish Stock — Use light vegetable stock if needed, but seafood flavor will be milder.

Storing and reheating

Best eaten immediately. It keeps a day in the fridge but the seafood toughens on reheating; treat leftovers as a cold rice salad with a squeeze of lemon instead. Do not freeze.

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Ingredients