“Surf and Turf” Rice Recipe
"Surf and Turf" Rice Recipe: A paella-inspired dish with all the flavors from my Caribbean paradise, so juicy and flavorful you will really crave it later.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of bija (annatto) seeds
- 1 lb [0.25 kg] longaniza , cut into 1" [2.5 cm]-slices
- 2 red bell peppers
- 4 cloves of garlic , crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup of diced auyama (West Indies pumpkin)
- 1/3 cup of olives
- 2 cups of long-grain rice
- 2 1/2 cup of boiling-hot chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 [0.7 kg] lb shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup of green peas
Instructions
- Heat oil over very low heat in a large (3 quart [3 lt] thick-bottomed pot.
- Cook bija in the oil, stirring gently for a minute, or until the oil turns bright orange in color.
- Scoop out the bija seeds leaving the oil. Add the longaniza and increase heat to medium-low. Cook longaniza until it is light brown all over, stirring as necessary.
- Add peppers, garlic, bay leaves, auyama and olives. Cook and stir for a minute.
- Add rice and cook stirring until all the rice is coated in oil (about a minute).
- Pour in the chicken stock, stir to mix all the ingredients. Taste and add salt to taste if you find it necessary.
- Simmer over medium-low heat until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Mix in shrimp and peas.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover again and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Uncover and taste rice, it should be cooked through, it it isn't, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.