Rice with Langoustines - Cazuela de Arroz con Langostinos

Cooking rice with langoustines may seem wasteful, but their flavor is so amplified by the cooked rice and stock left clinging to it, that the final dish is well worth it. This recipe comes from Cases de Alcanar, one of the fishing ports of the Ebro delta known for its langoustines and, more specifically, from El Pescador restaurant, where Angelina García Fons has been cooking for seventeen years.

Makes 4 servings.

Prep Time: 30 min.

Cook Time: 45 min.

Ingredients:

11 oz short-grained Spanish Rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, skinned and finely chopped
2 medium fresh squid or cuttlefish, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped skinned and seeded ripe tomato
3 - 1/4 cup water
16 small fresh langoustines
8 fresh prawns
Salt
Saffron

Preparation:

In a flameproof casserole of 2 - 2 1/2 quart capacity--earthenware if possible--gently fry the onion and squid, adding the fresh tomato for the last few minutes. Stir the rice around in the sofrito for a minute or two. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. You can prepare the dish ahead up to this point.

Pour the water over the rice and add the shellfish, salt and a few strands of saffron. Keep the heat high enough that the water remains at a gentle boil till the rice is nearly done; it should keep some liquid even after standing away from the heat.

Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.