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Portugal · Spiny Lobster

Portuguese Brothy Lobster Rice

Arroz de Lagosta

Portuguese seafood rice is never dry: it comes to the table loose and soupy, red with tomato and fragrant with cilantro, so you eat it with a spoon. A coastal celebration dish.

  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Medium
Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Served with: Portuguese Mixed Salad ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the lobster and stock

For the rice

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Poach the lobster. Bring the water, bay leaf and salt to a boil. Add the lobster tails and simmer 5 minutes. Lift them out, pull the meat from the shells, cut it in chunks and set aside. Return the shells to the pot and simmer 15 minutes for a quick stock; strain.
  2. Make the base. Heat the oil in a wide pot and cook the onion and pepper 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and chili and cook 5 minutes, until the tomatoes break down.
  3. Toast and deglaze. Stir in the rice for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and let it bubble away.
  4. Cook the rice. Add 6 cups (1.4 L) of the hot lobster stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered 15–18 minutes, stirring now and then. It should stay loose and brothy; add more stock if needed.
  5. Finish. Stir in the lobster meat and half the cilantro, cook 1 minute, then take it off the heat. Scatter the rest of the cilantro on top and serve right away with salada mista.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Portugal

Portuguese Mixed Salad

Salada Mista

Lettuce, tomato and onion dressed simply with olive oil, vinegar and salt. Every grill house in Portugal puts one on the table next to the fish.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1 head green leaf lettuce, torn
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, in wedges
  • 1 small onion, sliced thin
  • ½ green bell pepper, in strips (optional)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried oregano (optional)

How to make it

  1. Prep. Wash and dry the lettuce well. Arrange it on a platter with the tomatoes, onion and pepper on top.
  2. Season. Sprinkle the salt and oregano over the vegetables.
  3. Dress at the table. Just before eating, drizzle with the vinegar and then the olive oil. Toss and serve.

Photo: Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0

More ways to cook Spiny Lobster

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Exumas, BahamasBahamian Grilled Lobster Tails
Fornells, Menorca, SpainMenorcan Lobster Stew
Piñones, Puerto RicoMofongo Stuffed with Lobster Creole
Key West, FloridaKey West Grilled Spiny Lobster with Key Lime Butter