Rice with shrimps – Recipe for 4 people
Bring the flavors of Costa Rica to your own home by cooking this traditional Costa Rican recipe of Arroz con Camarones especially prepared by Caracara Travel’s owner José Salazar.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of rice
2 cups of water
300 gram big shrimps
1 celery stick chopped
fresh coriander
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
1 piece of garlic
1 cup of fish bouillon
1 cup frozen green peas (petit pois)
A bit of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Lizano Salsa* or Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon of achiote paste**
PREPARATION
1. Put the rice with 2 cups of water in a small cooking pot, boil on low fire until the water is evaporated and you see little holes on the rice surface. Or use a rice cooker.
2. Sauté the onion, adding the bell pepper and garlic in a wok/frying pan
3. Cook the shrimps for 5 minutes on low fire, take them out when they turn pink
4. Add the rice into the wok, together with the fish bouillon while stirring the rice.
5. Mix and softly boil for 5-10 min
6. Then add the green peas, celery, tablespoon of achiote pasta, plus the scrimps back in the pan
7. Stir and mix until warm
8. Finally add the coriander, Lizano (or Worcestershire) sauce, salt, and pepper to your taste and mix it all for a few minutes.
*Cooking tip: Add a tablespoon or two of the Lizano or Worcester Sauce, more than that might give a really strong sauce taste.
9. Serve together with some crisps or french fries
Buen Provecho!
Let us know if you liked the recipe or in case you need any cooking tips from José (Caracara Travels’ owner and “cooking chef”)
* Salsa Lizano is a sauce from Costa Rica with a very special flavor. It is not spicy and can be used for a variety of dishes, especially Gallo Pinto. In many countries you can not buy it, so you can use Worcestershire sauce as a substitute)
**Achiote (Bixa orellana) is native to the tropical areas of the Americas, including the Caribbean and Mexico. The Spanish brought the small tree from the Americas to Southeast Asia in the 1600s, where it is now a common food ingredient. It’s also produced in India and West Africa. It’s not easy to buy this pasta in Europe, however, to prepare an achiote paste substitute, add to a small bowl 1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder. Mix all the ingredients until the concoction is smooth and adopts the texture of a paste. Also, you can use saffron as a substitute.
