Arros caldos amb llagosta i gamba vermella

Rice soup with lobster and red prawns

My story

My husband, Miguel, and father-in-law, Joan, adore this dish more than even paella. However, the drawback is that you can only make it during the Autumn and Winter months. Typically referred to as "arroz caldoso," but known as "arros de peix" in Mallorca, this dish was made using lobster and red prawns instead of the usual langoustines, which were unavailable at my trusted fishmonger, Rex Goldsmith. 

Nonetheless, it can be made with a variety of ingredients, but the key lies in creating a delicious and hearty fish stock, which takes patience, but the final product is well worth it. Although the recipe can be expensive, if prepared for a lunch or dinner with friends, they will be thoroughly impressed. Be sure to use bomb rice and monitor the cooking process carefully, as it should be removed from heat when still slightly hard. For optimal results, utilize a clay/terracotta casserole when cooking on a gas hob, maintaining a consistent low heat to prevent burning.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves

2 big onions

1 green sweet pepper

2 big red tomatoes

1 Ñora pepper

Half a glass of Dark rum

20 Prawn heads

2 Monkfish bones

1 Hake head (or a 15cm Hake fillet)

1 raw Lobster

8 red prawns (Carabineros/Gambero rosso)

2 medium squid

250 grs of bomba rice

100ml olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Recipe

Start working on the stock first thing in the morning. As I said, it needs to be very rich, so I usually add the lobster head (fried first in the terracotta casserole with the other lobster parts to give the rice a nice flavour), a piece of hake (or a hake head if you're lucky enough to find one), some prawn heads and monkfish bones. Cut a big onion into medium pieces and add to a pot with three tablespoons of olive oil and a smashed garlic clove. Prawn heads should be added once the onion starts to cook. To get all the juices inside and mix them with the onion, keep pressing the prawn heads. 5-6 minutes later, add one big tomato shredded and continue cooking for 5 minutes more. Add a splash of dark rum and cook for an additional five minutes until the alcohol has reduced. Add all the bones and fish to the pot, cover with water, add salt, and let it simmer for about two hours.

Cut the lobster into pieces and place them in the casserole with 3 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook the pieces at a medium heat until they turn reddish.

To prepare this delectable dish, begin by frying the pieces of meat at a medium heat until they turn reddish in colour. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the casserole, saving the head for the stock and adding the rest to the rice at the end. The next step is to repeat the same process with the red prawns, adding salt and a bit of pepper, but cooking them for only 2-3 minutes to prevent them from getting hard. Once cooked, remove the prawns from the casserole and add garlic, onion, and a sweet green pepper to the same pan. Sweat this mixture and cook it for about 15-20 minutes on low heat.

Afterwards, add some prawn heads and cook them for about 5-6 minutes, pressing down to extract all the juices. Once cooked, remove the heads and blend them together with ¼ of a glass of water in a blender to obtain a pinkish liquid. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove any impurities and reserve it for later. Next, add the tomato and ñora pulp to the onion mix. To obtain the ñora pulp, boil the ñora  in a pot that is half full of water for about 15 minutes. Once it is cooled, carefully remove the pulp with a knife, making sure to remove all the seeds.

Cook the tomato and ñora pulp mixture for 5-6 minutes, adding a splash of dark rum afterwards. Once the rum has evaporated, add the squid that has been cut into little squares and cook it with the mixture for about 10 more minutes. Then, add the liquid from the prawn heads and mix it until it becomes a more firm mixture, which should take about 5-6 more minutes.

Finally, add the rice (one handful per person) and cook it with the sofrito for at least 5 minutes so the rice becomes coated and acquires the taste of the vegetables and squid. Gradually add the stock, making sure to completely cover the rice. Be careful not to add too much stock at the beginning, as you will see how much is needed during the cooking process. Keep adding stock and cook for about 15 minutes more, adding the lobster and red prawns after 10 minutes. Remove from the heat when the rice is still firm. Finish it to your liking, depending on your preferences. Personally, I prefer it light, so I add a larger amount of stock to a smaller amount of rice, but other people may have different preferences.