Arroz de tamboril is a Portuguese rice dish with monkfish and prawns, a seafood recipe featuring simple cooking and delicious flavours.
This one-pot recipe requires very little skill and will go from your fridge to your table in around 50 minutes.
Portuguese Seafood Rice
I kinda fall down a rabbit hole on a cuisine every year or so, and this year it seems that Portugal has become my crush of choice.
Dishes like beef espetada, camarao a guilho, and arroz con tomate have already made an appearance this year. Prior to that, all of my "Portuguese" influenced dishes were Indo-Portuguese.
And I'm definitely not done! Arroz de tamboril is a Portuguese seafood rice that features monkfish and prawns, and oh my gosh, is it good.
Many people are intimidated by cooking seafood, but dishes like this make it incredibly easy and practically foolproof.
You get all of the good but simple flavours into the rice before the seafood gets added to the dish. Olive oil, onions, green pepper, tomato, smoked paprika, sherry and fish stock do most of the heavy lifting.
Then the fish is added right at the end of the cooking process (in two batches), to poach gently as the rice finishes cooking.
It results in a beautifully "brothy" rice bowl with perfectly cooked meaty monkfish and sweet prawns.
Yes, I love big, bold, spicy flavours, but sometimes food needs to taste of just what it is, and this dish does that wonderfully!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of fish?
Tamboril translates to monkfish, but this dish works fairly well with other firm-fleshed white fish.
It will need cooking a little less, and you are better off looking for something larger from the loin rather than the fillet. But cod, hake, pollock, haddock and coley would all be ok in this recipe.
What rice should I use?
Traditionally, this dish is made with Carolino rice, which is tough to find in the UK without resorting to mail order.
Many recipes recommend a risotto rice like arborio or carnarolli; I personally prefer a paella rice like bomba.
Do I have to use sherry?
No, this dish is traditionally made with white wine rather than sherry; I just prefer the flavour of dry sherry in this recipe. Dry vermouth is another option, which would bring subtle aniseed vibes, which is also nice.
If you are avoiding wine, just add an extra 125ml (½ cup) of stock and a splash of acidity. Lemon juice, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar would all work well.
Do I have to defrost the prawns?
"Have" is a bold word, but yes! Adding frozen prawns will reduce the temperature of the rice and monkfish. Which would mean everything has to cook longer, and inevitably, everything will overcook.
Can I make this in advance?
I would not recommend making this in advance because there are too many elements that would be well beyond their best when reheated.
Let's face it, monkfish and prawns are not cheap, and reheating them would be such a waste of money.
Serving Suggestions
I think of this arroz de tamboril recipe as a one-pot, one-bowl complete meal and rarely serve it with much as a side.
However, I do make my version of this dish quite "brothy"; some are very dry. Mainly so that I can clean my bowl with a bit of bread when I am done!
I'd usually opt for a little ciabatta or focaccia warmed in the oven.
But if you were so inclined, a few slices of garlic baguette would also work very well!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan, with a lid.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A sieve or colander if you need to defrost your prawns.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Portuguese Arroz de Tamboril Recipe: Monkfish and Prawn Rice
Ingredients
- 350 g Boneless Monkfish 12oz
- 10-12 King Prawns 175g
- 135 g Short Grain Rice ⅔ Cup (I use paella rice)
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 1 Green Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium-Large Tomato 150g
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 125 ml Dry Sherry ½ Cup
- 500 ml Fish Stock 2 Cups
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half peel it and then cut it into a 5mm (just under ¼") dice.
- Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the pepper, and cut it into a dice, roughly the same size as the onion.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium-low heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil, onions and green pepper, then sweat them down gently for 10 minutes.
- Grate the tomato.
- Peel and finely dice the garlic.
- After 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the grated tomato, bay leaf, smoked paprika and black pepper, and stir continuously until the liquid from the tomato has evaporated.
- Add the rice, and stir it gently until it is coated with the thick "sauce".
- Pour in the sherry, and cook out for a few minutes, or until it just begins to boil.
- Add the fish stock, stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low; now is a good time to have a taste and add salt as required.Add a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- If your prawns are frozen, defrost them by running them under cold water.
- Cut your monkfish into 35mm (1½") cubes.
- Remove the lid from the pan, and have a taste of the rice; it should be well on the way to being cooked, but still have a "reasonable bite left in it.Stir in the monkfish, return the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, stir in the prawns and cook for a final 5 minutes without the lid on.