Locrio de Arenque (rice with smoked herrings) is a mix of ingredients from faraway lands, and combined into a much-beloved flavorful dish. A video recipe that won't let you down.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Jan 20, 2005
❝ I grew up on that... ❞
Why we ❤️ it
Locrio de Arenque (Rice and Smoked Herring) hasn't always been the beloved dish that we know today.
There was a time when it was looked down upon as "comida de policía", but at today's prices it has turned into a delicacy, appreciated for its strong flavors.
What's locrio de arenque
Locrio in the Dominican Rep. is a type of one-pot rice dish, the rice is colored with tomato sauce or achiote (bija in the DR) and combined with some kind of protein (or protein substitute).
In this case the rice is combined with arenque --salted smoked herring-- which is boiled to desalt it beforehand.
Smoked herring and Locrio de arenque.
Serving suggestions
Fritos maduros (fried ripe plantains) are great with this dish, with its contrasting flavor, some avocado slices are great with it, and some Habichuelas guisadas are certainly going to be welcome.
Throw in some salad, like our Dominican ensalada verde, or Ensalada hervida to add freshness and nutrition.
Top tips
- Amount of herring: Use 2 pound [0.9 kilogram] if you find whole, bone-in fish, or 1 pound [450 grams] if you use herring fillet.
- Saltiness: How much salt you add to the rice will vary depending on how well the herring has been desalted. This is why I check for saltiness right before adding rice, and if needed, add salt to the exact level of saltiness I'd want in the rice.
- Odors: Cooking arenque is not a discreet endeavor, it has a strong smell that was the source of many jokes in our country. So keep that in mind.
About this recipe
Like with nearly all Dominican dishes, there will be many ways to make this depending on each home cook's taste and traditions, but in general, most recipes will be fairly close to this one.
One relatively obscure version is made with huevas de arenque (herring roe), but it is not as well-liked.
Have you made or tried this dish? Let me know in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Locrio de Arenque [Video+Recipe] Rice and Smoked Herrings
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked herring, [0.45 kg] fillet (see notes)
- 5 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced auyama (kabocha squash), (optional)
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers
- 1 teaspoon mashed garlic
- ¼ cup capers, (optional)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley, (optional)
- 3 cups rice
- 1½ teaspoons salt, (may not be needed)
Instructions
1. Soaking the herring
Soak the herrings for two hours in a gallon [4 liters] of water. After soaking get rid of this water.
2. Boiling the herring
Boil the herrings in a gallon [4 liters] of water until it starts to come apart. Let it cool down.Remove the herring from the water (reserve 4½ cup of the boiling water) and clean of bones and skin, then shred.
3. Cook
In an iron pot heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, add the celery, auyama, bell pepper, garlic, capers, tomato sauce, and parsley. Cook and stir for a minute and then add the herrings.Once the ingredients in the pot are heated through, add the liquid that you had reserved, and bring to a boil, season with salt to taste if necessary.When it breaks the boil, add the rice. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking.
4. Simmering
When all the liquid has evaporated, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over very low heat. Simmer 15 minutes and uncover, stir, mix in the remaining oil and cover again.Cook another 5 minutes. Try the rice, it should be firm but tender inside.If necessary, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes over very low heat.
5. Serving
Remove from the heat.Scoop out the rice into a serving bowl and scrape the rice stuck at the bottom (concón) and serve separately.See serving suggestions above the recipe.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More arenque recipes
As well as this locrio de arenque, you can try our herring with eggs (arenque con huevo) recipe, and of course, the rich taste of stewed herring (arenque guisado).
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