Arroz De Marisco - Portuguese Seafood Risotto - Chef Recipe by Steven Snow

Ingredients

Lisbon Paste:

3 red capsicums
150mL Brookfarm macadamia nut oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt to taste

Arroz:

Good pinch of saffron threads
1.5L (6 cups) hot fish or chicken stock
60mL Brookfarm macadamia nut oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 anchovy fillets, drained
4 fresh bay leaves
3 Tbs FINS Lisbon Paste
2 cups (440g) Arborio rice
1/2 cup (125mL) dry white wine
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
12 black mussels, scrubbed, beards removed
400g skinless firm white fish fillets pin-boned, cut into bite-sized pieces (such as blue eye or kingfish)
6 small squid tubes, opened out, cut into 4
12 large green King prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
1/2 cup (80g) pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 1/2 cups flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Lisbon Paste:

Place the capsicums on the char-grill and blacken on all sides. Alternatively you can roast in the oven or grill until the skin blisters. Place the capsicums in a stainless steel bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool. When the capsicums are cool peel the skins and discard. Remove the seeds and inner membrane.

Chop the capsicums and garlic roughly and place in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator covered with a layer of oil for up to 2 weeks

Arroz:

Add saffron to the hot stock and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-based saucepan.

Cook onion and garlic for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden.

Add anchovies, bay leaves and Lisbon Paste. Stir for 2 minutes or until anchovies break down. Add rice and stir until well coated. Add wine and stir for 30 seconds.

Stir in chopped tomato. Reduce heat to low and keep at a simmer.

Stirring continuously, add 5 cups of hot stock, a cupful at a time, waiting until each one is almost absorbed before adding the next. The rice should still be slightly firm.

Place rice on flat tray and spread out to aerate and to prevent over cooking. Leave rice at room temperature.

To Serve:

Heat oil and add onion, Lisbon Paste, fresh bay and garlic.

When onion is golden, add mussels and fish.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened and the other seafood is still under cooked. Deglaze seafood with wine and saffron stock. Toss rice through quickly to heat.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with olives and parsley.

Recipe provided by Fins Restaurant