Mexican Shrimp Rice (Arroz con Camarones)
Arroz con camarones Say it: ah-ROHS kohn kah-mah-ROH-nehs
Arroz con camarones is Mexico's coastal rice dish: long-grain rice toasted in oil, simmered in a deep-red tomato and chile sofrito, then finished with plump shrimp folded through the grains. It belongs to the kitchens of Veracruz, Sinaloa and Sonora, where shrimp come in daily and rice is the backbone of the midday meal. The rice turns fluffy and separate, lightly smoky from the toasting, savory from the shellfish stock, and bright with lime and cilantro at the table.
Mexican Shrimp Rice (Arroz con Camarones)
Arroz con camarones
Pronounced ah-ROHS kohn kah-mah-ROH-nehs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Rice and shrimp
Sofrito
Stock and seasoning
To finish
Method
Make a quick shrimp stock. put the reserved shells in a saucepan with the 3 cups (720 ml) water, the extra half onion, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the shells; you should have about 2 3/4 cups (650 ml). Season the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic and chile until completely smooth. Set the purée aside.
Heat the 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a wide heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the drained rice and stir constantly for 5–7 minutes, until the grains turn opaque white and then pale gold and smell nutty. Scrape the rice onto a plate.
Add the 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and the tomato purée to the same pot. Cook, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes, until the purée darkens to a brick red, thickens to a paste and no longer smells raw.
Return the rice to the pot and stir for 1 minute to coat every grain. Pour in the strained shrimp stock, add the 1 tsp salt and stir once to level the rice. Bring to a strong boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes without stirring, until the rice is nearly tender and small steam holes appear on the surface.
Scatter the peas (if using) and then the shrimp evenly over the rice. Cover again and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque, pink and curled into loose C shapes and the rice is tender with a little liquid left at the bottom.
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes so the grains firm up and the shrimp finish cooking gently. Fluff with a fork, taste for salt, scatter with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Regional variant: Arroz con camarones caldoso (soupy coastal style)
Increase the stock to 4 1/2 cups (1.1 liters) and add 1 tbsp tomato paste with the purée. Cook the rice uncovered at a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, stir in the shrimp and 1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine or extra stock, and simmer 5 minutes more until the shrimp are pink — the result should be brothy and spoonable rather than dry, more like a seafood soup-rice served in deep bowls.
Cook's notes
- Don't stir the rice once the stock goes in — stirring makes it creamy instead of fluffy and separate.
- Save every shell: 10 minutes of simmering them gives the savory backbone that water alone cannot.
- If your pot is narrow, use a wide skillet with a lid so the rice cooks in a thin, even layer.
Serve with
Warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, a simple lettuce and avocado salad, and cold aguas frescas or a lager.
Make ahead and storage
Cook up to a day ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate, then reheat covered with a splash of stock over low heat so the shrimp don't toughen.
