Skip to main content

Recipe: Everything But The Kitchen Sink Rice

Support Provided By
Everything But The Kitchen Sink seafood dish. | From "Pati's Mexican Table: Season 5, Episode 3"
Courtesy of Pati's Mexican Table

This recipe was originally published on patijinich.com.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Rice (Seafood Rice Stew)

Arroz con Mariscos

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 1 whole (about 3 pounds) white-fleshed, mild-flavored fish,, such as red snapper, grouper, or rock fish, boned and filleted OR 1 pound fish fillets
  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, or to taste
  • 8 garlic cloves, 5 finely chopped,, 3 peeled and left whole
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped white onion
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt, or to taste, divided
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound cleaned squid, rinsed and sliced into 1/4" rings
  • 1 pound medium shrimp peeled, shells and tails reserved if making broth
  • 2 cups long or extra long white rice, or jasmine rice
  • 5 cups seafood or fish broth, homemade or store bought
  • 1 large fresh epazote sprig, or 3 cilantro sprigs
  • 12 small to medium fresh clams, scrubbed and rinsed
  • 12 small to medium fresh mussels, scrubbed and rinsed

To Prepare

  Note: If you plan on making the seafood or fish broth, get the whole fish and ask your fish monger to clean it for you and to give you the head, bones and tail to use for the broth. Also, save the shrimp shells and tails to use in the broth, as well.

Cut the fish fillets so that you have 6 more or less equally sized pieces. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, and the 3 whole garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until the tomatoes are fully cooked and very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and only 1 of the jalapeños (puree one chile at a time, taste for heat, and add the other if desired) to a blender, and add the onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Puree until completely smooth.

Rinse and dry the saucepan and heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Once hot, add the tomato puree and cover the pan partially with a lid, as the puree will sputter and jump. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, dark and fragrant, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large, wide casserole, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over high heat. Once hot, toss in the squid, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, add half of the finely chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the squid and the garlic with a slotted spoon and place in a heatproof bowl.

Add the shrimp to the casserole, along with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and half of the remaining chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and flipping the shrimp over halfway through. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl with the squid.

Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of the remaining olive oil to the casserole. Once hot, add the rice and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the casserole, until the rice is crackling and coated with oil, feels heavier in the pan as you stir it, and the color of the grains has changed from a pale white to a deep milky white.

Pour the cooked-down tomato puree over the rice; it will sizzle and smoke a bit, which is what you want. Cover partially with a lid and cook, stirring a couple of times, until the rice absorbs most of the sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the seafood broth and stir the rice, scraping the bottom of the casserole. Add the epazote or cilantro sprigs and reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently arrange the reserved shrimp and squid on top of the rice, adding any of their juices from the bowl, as well as the clams, mussels and seasoned fish fillets.

Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and can be easily pulled apart with a fork, and the clams and mussels have opened up. Turn off the heat and serve immediately in soup plates. The rice should be tender and the mixture very soupy.

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.