Arroz Marinero (Colombian-Style Seafood Rice)

Arroz Marinero o Arroz con Mariscos is a traditional and popular rice dish from the Atlantic Coast of Colombia. It is made with a combination of seafood, vegetables and Colombian spices. I used shrimp, clams and white fish in my recipe, which are typical ingredients used to make the dish, but most people in Colombia also add squid, calamari, scallops and mussels to this seafood rice. Feel free to use your favorite seafood combination for this dish. Arroz Marinero is a wonderful dish for family gatherings or special parties because it is elegant, very easy to make, filling, and absolutely delicious.

As a Colombian, cooked plain white rice is a dish I can’t live without. I eat and cook rice everyday and can’t even begin to imagine serving a Colombian meal without a side of white rice. I am never without rice in my pantry. If I’m out of arroz, it means I need to go grocery shopping immediately! Rice is a versatile ingredient and very easy to cook. In Colombia we don’t just eat plain rice, Colombian cuisine has a large repertoire of recipes using this delicious grain, some examples of them are: rice with chicken, rice with shrimp, rice with beans, rice with chorizo, rice soup, rice with pork and rice pudding among others.

I like to serve this Arroz Marinero (Seafood Rice) with patacones ( fried green plantain), tajadas de platano (fried ripe plantain), avocado slices, lime or lemon wedges, and ají picante (Colombian hot sauce) on the side.

Buen provecho!

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 2 cups seafood stock
• Salt to taste

Seafood Mixture

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon achiote powder
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 pounds of your favorite seafood: (shrimp, fish, calamari, scallops, mussels, squid and /or clams)
• 1/2 cup frozen diced carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a saucepan, add the rice, stir until well coated and cook for about one minute stirring often. Add the seafood broth and salt, bring to a boil until the broth is evaporated, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and set a side.
2. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan, add the onions, red bell pepper, green pepper and garlic, stir often and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, cumin, achiote powder, salt, pepper and half of the fresh cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the raw seafood, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the cooked rice, peas and carrots, mix well and cook until the seafood is cooked, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the remaining fresh cilantro, fresh parsley and serve.