Description
Mediterranean coastal charm shines through this seafood rice pilaf, blending ocean-fresh ingredients with aromatic herbs and perfectly seasoned grains. Coastal flavors dance on your palate, inviting you to savor a delightful culinary journey through sun-kissed shoreline traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood:
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 pound scallops
- 1/2 pound mussels, cleaned
Rice and Base Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- 3 cups seafood or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Seasonings and Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious skillet, allowing it to shimmer over moderate temperature. Gently introduce diced onions and minced garlic, transforming them until they become translucent and release their aromatic essence.
- Cascade rice into the skillet, meticulously coating each grain with the fragrant oil. Allow the grains to dance and toast, developing a nutty undertone for approximately two minutes.
- Pour broth into the skillet, complementing it with smoky paprika, seasoning with salt and pepper. Elevate the temperature until the liquid erupts into a rolling boil, then immediately reduce heat, seal with a tight-fitting lid, and let the rice simmer gently for ten minutes.
- Delicately distribute raw shrimp, tender scallops, and fresh mussels across the rice’s surface, ensuring even placement. Return the lid and continue cooking, allowing seafood to steam and transform, roughly 10-12 minutes, until shellfish become opaque and mussel shells gracefully part open.
- Extinguish heat, permitting the pilaf to rest and harmonize flavors for five minutes. Finish by sprinkling freshly chopped parsley and squeezing bright lemon juice across the dish just before presenting to eager diners.
Notes
- Enhance seafood flavor by using homemade fish stock instead of standard broth for deeper oceanic taste.
- Select freshest seafood possible, ensuring mussels are tightly closed before cooking and discard any that remain open after preparation.
- Prevent rice from becoming mushy by briefly toasting grains in oil, which helps maintain individual kernel texture and adds subtle nutty undertones.
- Accommodate gluten-sensitive diets by confirming broth is gluten-free and using alternative grains like quinoa or cauliflower rice for base.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg