Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Easy Arroz Meloso de Gambas
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
15 minutes
35 minutes
50 minutes
Serves:
4 servings
An easier take on Katie's Arroz Meloso de Gambas from America's Culinary Cup Season 1. This weeknight version swaps the from-scratch prawn stock for a quick 10-minute shell broth built on shop-bought fish stock, streamlines the sofrito with tinned tomatoes, folds the saffron straight in, and trades...
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Ingredients
FOR THE QUICK PRAWN BROTH
1 lb (450 g) raw shell-on prawns, peeled, shells reserved (bodies for the rice)
1 tbsp olive oil
5 cups (1.2 L) shop-bought fish or seafood stock
1 bay leaf
Generous pinch (~0.2 g) saffron threads
FOR THE SOFRITO RICE
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup (240 ml) tinned chopped tomatoes or passata
1 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimenton dulce)
1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika (pimenton picante), optional
1 1/2 cups (300 g) bomba rice (or Calasparra / paella rice; not arborio)
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
Reserved peeled prawns (from the broth)
TO FINISH
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Drizzle of good olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
EQUIPMENT
Large (28-30 cm) frying pan or wide shallow pan
Medium saucepan
Ladle and wooden spoon
Method
STEP 1: MAKE A QUICK PRAWN BROTH
Peel the prawns, keeping the shells; refrigerate the peeled bodies. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high and fry the shells 3-4 minutes, pressing them down, until deep coral-pink and smelling of the sea. Add the fish or seafood stock and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the shells; you should have about 5 cups (1.2 L) - top up with hot water if short. Crush the saffron threads between your fingers, stir into the hot broth, and keep at a low simmer.
STEP 2: BUILD A QUICK SOFRITO
In a large frying pan or wide shallow pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium. Add the onion and salt and cook 6-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then add the tinned tomatoes. Cook 6-8 minutes, stirring, until jammy and the oil separates. Off the heat, stir in the sweet (and hot, if using) smoked paprika - residual heat blooms it without burning.
STEP 3: TOAST THE RICE
Return the pan to medium heat. Add the bomba rice and stir 1-2 minutes until the grains are glossy and translucent at the edges. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble away, about 1 minute.
STEP 4: ADD THE BROTH (DON'T STIR)
Pour in all the hot saffron broth at once. Spread the rice evenly with one shake of the pan and taste for salt - it should taste of well-seasoned seawater. From here, do not stir; a gentle shake of the pan is all that is allowed.
STEP 5: SIMMER TO MELOSO
Hard simmer over medium-high for 8 minutes, then drop to low for 8-10 minutes. The rice is done when tender with the faintest chalky centre and the liquid has reduced to a loose, glossy, slightly soupy bath - spoonable, not drinkable. Splash in hot water if it tightens too far.
STEP 6: POACH THE PRAWNS
In the last 2-3 minutes, nestle the peeled prawns into the surface so the residual heat poaches them. They are ready when they curl into a loose C and turn opaque coral.
STEP 7: REST AND SERVE
Off the heat, scatter the parsley and cover loosely with foil or a tea towel. Rest 3 minutes - this is when the meloso texture sets. Spoon into warm bowls, drizzle with good olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges.
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Instructions
FOR THE QUICK PRAWN BROTH
1 lb (450 g) raw shell-on prawns, peeled, shells reserved (bodies for the rice)
1 tbsp olive oil
5 cups (1.2 L) shop-bought fish or seafood stock
1 bay leaf
Generous pinch (~0.2 g) saffron threads
FOR THE SOFRITO RICE
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup (240 ml) tinned chopped tomatoes or passata
1 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimenton dulce)
1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika (pimenton picante), optional
1 1/2 cups (300 g) bomba rice (or Calasparra / paella rice; not arborio)
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
Reserved peeled prawns (from the broth)
TO FINISH
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Drizzle of good olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
EQUIPMENT
Large (28-30 cm) frying pan or wide shallow pan
Medium saucepan
Fine-mesh sieve
Ladle and wooden spoon
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE A QUICK PRAWN BROTH
Peel the prawns, keeping the shells; refrigerate the peeled bodies. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high and fry the shells 3-4 minutes, pressing them down, until deep coral-pink and smelling of the sea. Add the fish or seafood stock and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the shells; you should have about 5 cups (1.2 L) - top up with hot water if short. Crush the saffron threads between your fingers, stir into the hot broth, and keep at a low simmer.
STEP 2: BUILD A QUICK SOFRITO
In a large frying pan or wide shallow pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium. Add the onion and salt and cook 6-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then add the tinned tomatoes. Cook 6-8 minutes, stirring, until jammy and the oil separates. Off the heat, stir in the sweet (and hot, if using) smoked paprika - residual heat blooms it without burning.
STEP 3: TOAST THE RICE
Return the pan to medium heat. Add the bomba rice and stir 1-2 minutes until the grains are glossy and translucent at the edges. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble away, about 1 minute.
STEP 4: ADD THE BROTH (DON'T STIR)
Pour in all the hot saffron broth at once. Spread the rice evenly with one shake of the pan and taste for salt - it should taste of well-seasoned seawater. From here, do not stir; a gentle shake of the pan is all that is allowed.
STEP 5: SIMMER TO MELOSO
Hard simmer over medium-high for 8 minutes, then drop to low for 8-10 minutes. The rice is done when tender with the faintest chalky centre and the liquid has reduced to a loose, glossy, slightly soupy bath - spoonable, not drinkable. Splash in hot water if it tightens too far.
STEP 6: POACH THE PRAWNS
In the last 2-3 minutes, nestle the peeled prawns into the surface so the residual heat poaches them. They are ready when they curl into a loose C and turn opaque coral.
STEP 7: REST AND SERVE
Off the heat, scatter the parsley and cover loosely with foil or a tea towel. Rest 3 minutes - this is when the meloso texture sets. Spoon into warm bowls, drizzle with good olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges.
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