Arroz roja with langoustine
This Spanish seafood dish is very similar to paella, except that the red rice and seafood are cooked separately. I’m forever enthusing about the flavour to be found in the heads and shells of langoustines – it’s the stock that’s the star feature here.
Ingredients
For the rice
- 8 frozen langoustines
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 250g/9oz ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar or freshly roasted), chopped into 1cm pieces
- pinch chilli flakes
- 400g/14oz short-grain paella rice
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú haddock fillet, skin on, cut into 4 pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shellfish stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 60ml/4 tbsp white wine
- 1.5 litres/2â…” pints fish stock or water
- fresh tarragon sprig
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú tomatoes, roughly chopped
To serve
Method
Start by peeling the langoustines. Set aside the flesh and roughly chop the heads and shells for the stock later.
For the shellfish stock, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Gently fry the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes until softened. Add the chopped langoustine heads and shells and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine, bring to the boil and cook for a minute, then add the fish stock or water, tarragon and tomatoes.
Cook for 40 minutes, then push everything through a fine sieve over a large pan, pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as you can. You need 1 litre/1¾ pint finished stock for the 400g/14oz rice, so top it up with a splash of water or more stock if it comes in under 1 litre/1¾ pint.
In a large frying pan (28–30cm/11–12in) or a shallow flameproof casserole dish, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for a minute without browning. Stir in the paprika, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, chopped red pepper, chilli flakes, shellfish stock and rice, then season with salt and pepper.
Stir once, then bring up to the boil and simmer vigorously for about 6 minutes. Turn the heat down and cook for a further 12 minutes, until the stock is absorbed and the rice is pitted with small holes.
A few minutes before the rice is due to finish cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a separate pan over a medium–high heat. Add the haddock, skin–side down, and cook until the flesh is opaque. Add the langoustine meat and cook for about 30 seconds or so until pink, turning them once.
Divide the rice between four bowls and top each with a piece of haddock and two langoustines. Garnish with aioli, chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon, if you like.
