Este arroz de cabeças de peixe é um prato profundamente tradicional e um exemplo brilhante da cozinha de aproveitamento portuguesa, onde nada se desperdiça. Ao utilizar as cabeças de peixes como a garoupa e o tamboril, cria-se um caldo incrivelmente rico que serve de base a um arroz malandrinho, cremoso e repleto do mais puro sabor a mar. É uma refeição de conforto, rústica e surpreendentemente requintada.

Ingredientes

  • 1 cabeça de garoupa
  • 1 cabeça de tamboril
  • 1 cebola média picada
  • 4 colheres de sopa de azeite virgem
  • 1 dl de vinho branco seco
  • 1 folha de louro
  • 4 dentes de alho picados
  • 2 malaguetas de piri-piri
  • Sal q.b.
  • 1 colher de sopa de açúcar mascavado
  • 3 tomates maduros, pelados, sem sementes e triturados
  • Fígado de tamboril cortado em pedaços
  • 300 g de arroz
  • 1 raminho de salsa picada
  • 1 litro da água coada de cozer as cabeças de peixe
  • 250 g de miolo de camarão

Preparação

  1. Abri as cabeças de peixe e retirei cuidadosamente toda a carne aproveitável.
  2. Levei os restos (ossos, cartilagens, etc.) a cozer em água durante 30 minutos. Reservei e coei o caldo.
  3. Num tacho, refoguei a cebola no azeite. Refresquei com o vinho branco, tapei e deixei cozer 2 minutos.
  4. Juntei o louro, os alhos, as malaguetas, o sal, o açúcar mascavado e os tomates triturados. Deixei refogar até o líquido quase desaparecer.
  5. Adicionei os pedaços de peixe, o fígado de tamboril, o arroz e a salsa. Deixei refogar ligeiramente.
  6. Juntei 1 litro do caldo coado das cabeças de peixe. Rectifiquei o sal e deixei cozer.
  7. Dois minutos antes do final da cozedura, acrescentei o miolo de camarão. Servi de imediato.

This is true Portuguese soul food, a recipe that wastes nothing and tastes of everything. Here it is, translated for your kitchen.

Fisherman’s Rice with Fish Heads

This dish is a masterclass in resourceful Portuguese cooking, embodying the “fin-to-fin” philosophy where no part of the fish is wasted. It uses the heads of large white fish like grouper and monkfish, parts often discarded, to create an intensely flavourful and gelatinous broth. This broth then becomes the lifeblood of a rich, soupy rice dish, or arroz malandrinho, packed with the very essence of the sea.

The recipe’s secret weapon is the addition of monkfish liver. When cooked, it melts into the rice, imparting an incredible, creamy richness that is similar to a fine seafood pâté. The small amount of brown sugar might seem unusual, but it’s a clever trick to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, resulting in a perfectly harmonious sauce. If you can’t find grouper or monkfish, the heads of any large, non-oily white fish like cod or hake would work well.

This is a hearty, one-pot meal that needs little more than a side of crusty bread for mopping up the delicious, soupy sauce. It’s best served immediately, steaming hot from the pan. For a final flourish, a squeeze of fresh lemon or a sprinkle of chopped fresh coriander over the top will add a burst of freshness that beautifully cuts through the richness of the dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 grouper head
  • 1 monkfish head
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
  • 100ml dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 piri-piri chillies
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and puréed
  • Monkfish liver, cut into pieces
  • 300g short-grain rice (like Carolino or Arborio)
  • 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
  • 1 litre of the strained water from cooking the fish heads
  • 250g peeled raw prawns

Preparation

  1. Break open the fish heads and carefully remove all the usable meat.
  2. Place the remains (bones, cartilage, etc.) in a pot with water and boil for 30 minutes. Strain the broth and set it aside.
  3. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil. Deglaze with the white wine, cover the pan, and let it cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the bay leaf, garlic, chillies, salt, brown sugar, and the puréed tomatoes. Allow it to sauté until the liquid has almost completely reduced.
  5. Stir in the reserved pieces of fish meat, the monkfish liver, the rice, and the parsley. Allow everything to sauté gently for a minute.
  6. Pour in 1 litre of the strained fish head broth. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt, then let it cook until the rice is nearly tender.
  7. Two minutes before the rice is fully cooked, stir in the peeled prawns. Let them cook through, then serve immediately.