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Arroz del senyoret
Arròs del senyoret: Valencian seafood rice with everything peeled, for the gentleman who won't use his fingers
The name means "the little gentleman's rice", after the well-to-do diners at Valencia's beach restaurants in Las Arenas and El Saler who refused to get their hands dirty peeling prawns. So every piece of seafood goes into the pan already peeled and cut to fork size, while the shells are fried into the stock to keep all their flavour. The result is a thin layer of saffron-gold rice dotted with sweet prawn, squid and monkfish, eaten straight from the pan on a summer Sunday. A common mistake is throwing the prawn shells away; they give the stock its depth. Chef's tip: grate the tomato rather than chopping it; the pulp melts into the sofrito and lets it darken quickly.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp of the 1 ½ tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over a high heat and fry the prawn heads and shells for 4 minutes, pressing with a spoon, until bright red and smelling toasty. Pour in 5 ½ cups fish stock, simmer for 15 minutes, then strain, pressing hard on the shells. Keep 1.1 litres hot.
20 minStep 2: Heat the rest of the ¼ cup olive oil in a 36 to 38 cm paella pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the peeled 14 oz raw prawns for 1 minute until they just turn pink, then lift out and set aside.
2 minStep 3: Add 9 oz cleaned squid and 9 oz monkfish fillet and fry for 3 minutes until the squid is opaque and lightly golden. Add 3 clove garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then 2 ripe tomatoes, and fry for 5 minutes until thick and a shade darker.
9 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika, then add 11 ½ oz short-grain paella rice (bomba or senia) and stir for 2 minutes until well coated. Pour in the hot prawn stock, crumble in 1 pinch saffron threads, season with 1 tsp salt and spread evenly. Bring to the boil and don't stir again.
3 minStep 5: Cook for 8 minutes on a high heat, then 8 to 10 minutes on a medium-low heat, rotating the pan for even cooking. Press the prawns into the surface for the last 4 minutes. The rice is ready when the liquid has gone and the grains are just tender with a faint bite.
17 minStep 6: Check the prawns are pink and opaque all through and the monkfish flakes. Rest the pan under a tea towel for 5 minutes, then serve with lemon wedges and allioli, if you like.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arroz del senyoret take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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