Há um mês, fiz um arroz de pampo, em casa duma amiga que (temporariamente) alojava uma jovem japonesa que estava na nossa terra a aperfeiçoar a língua que por cá se fala.
No final, depois de tudo comido, ela pediu-me a receita pois queria fazer o mesmo para a mãe, uma vez regressada ao Japão. Acho que se tratou dum belo elogio ao prato que mais gosto de cozinhar e aqui fica a receita tal como lhe enviei:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A recipe is always more than a list of
ingredients and techniques. Especially when it is part of one's
history like this is to me, but I'll try to describe and you'll try
to achieve it, keeping in mind that the stock is the most important
part of this recipe. Or is it the rice? Maybe the fish? The olive
oil?
To start, it is necessary to make a
good broth, with vegetables , fish, spices etc as this will be the
main flavoring component. There is also the need to use a good olive
oil, which you will have difficulty in finding, but it can be done
with proper butter also, even though the end result will be
different. No other fat will work. So, use olive oil if possible and
if not, use butter.
To prepare the stock:
The fish may be any kind of fresh white
and not fatty fish, like sea bass, hake, snapper or pampano as the
one in the photo(don't use mackerel or sardines). It is better to buy
the whole fish, as the head and all the bones are required for the
stock. The easiest way is to buy a fish weighting between one and two
kilos (to make rice for 2 persons a 1 Kg fish is more than enough).
If the fish is not to big it may be cooked whole, otherwise there is
the need to cut it in pieces.
Start adding salt (if possible coarse
salt) to the fish. Then pell the veggies, and cut
them in pieces (not too small ). Sweat them in a hot pan
with olive oil, and take care not to let them turn brown, add the
spices (you can use all, some or none, but it will make some
difference, one or two stripes of lemon zest (saving the rest of the
lemon for later) and a piece of fresh ginger. Add 1 Lt of water,
salt and wait for the water to start boiling.
After 30 minutes, remove the fish
from the water (it will be almost completely cooked) and clean it
carefully, returning all the bones and skin to the stock, and keeping
all the flesh to add later to the rice).
Let the stock (with the vegetables,
spices and fish bones) simmer for 30 more minutes, and after that,
sieve it, to use the liquid in the rice preparation.
The rice:
To make the rice, you will have to find
a rice that absorbs a lot of water - the thai or basmati rices are
not good for this, but risotto rice (carnaroli) or even paella rice
can be used.
The photo shows the rice I use, but I don't think it will be available in Japan
The amount liquid will be 2,5 times
the amount of rice, and in the end there should still be liquid, and
the grains cooked, soft but not sticking...
To start cooking the rice, get a pan in
the fire, add the olive oil, the garlic / leek /onion finely minced ,
let it start to fry and add the rice (100g for each person). Mix the
rice so that it is covered with a layer of olive oil, and after that
add the stock (for 2 persons use 200g of rice and 0,5Lt of hot
stock).
Cook the rice covered for 10 minutes
after the liquid starts to boil, and when the 10 minutes pass, add
the fish, the lemon juice, some more salt if required, and two
handfuls of fresh coriander leaves. Cover and let it cook for more 2
minutes.
To finalize I add 1/2 tablespoon of
olive oil, but that's not mandatory...
Eat immediately as it will lose quality
with time. Don't reheat it later, eat everything and enjoy.
