Vera Cruz: Arroz a la Tumbada

 

TUMBAR is a complicated Spanish verb, however, the basic meaning is TO TILT, TO BE INCLINED TO or TO LIE DOWN. Thus, the rice and the seafood are inclined to be a perfect couple and to tilt the pallera, and stir gently.

 

Here is a friend´s recipe; who is a marvelous lady, Chef, Caterer, and Authoress of:  "A Legacy of Flavors"; the recipe from: Susanna Palazuelos in Acapulco. Trilingual Susanna and I had been in contact for several months, prior to her debut in the Madrid Captial in which she was hosting a Mexican and Spanish Cultural Gastronomy Exchange at the Westin Hotel Palace in the centre of Madrid Capital. She is a client of mine, and we finally sat down together at the same table once again, for an interview and photos, and a stunning dinner which she prepared at the Palace Hotel Restaurant & Piano Bar, La Rotunda.

 

 

www.susannapalazuelos.com ( Susanna´s Recipes in English ).

 

Photo Courtesy: Ignacio Urquiza.

 

President of The Mexican Confederation of National

Tourism.

 

 

 

VERA CRUZ ARROZ A LA TUMBADA ... MEXICAN PAELLA ...

 

1 CUP LONG GRAIN RICE

1 TBLSP. EVOO

2 CLOVES GARLIC

1/4 ONION

3 RED RIPE JUICY TOMATOES PEELED AND SEEDED

1 LEEK

1.75 Litres of water ( 7 cups ) or shellfish stock ( I have prepared with 1/2 water and 1/2 shellfish stock from gambónes, jumbo Galician shrimp & lobster ).

4 tsps. minced fresh cilantro

30 PEELED JUMBO SHRIMP DEVEINED

200 GRAMS OF FIRM WHITE FLESH FISH OF CHOICE & AVAILABILITY

200 GRAMS OF CLAMS OR MUSSELS

2 small green chilie peppers of heat tolerance of choice

2 lemons sliced in half

2 limes sliced in half

 

1) heat some Evoo and add rice to the pallera

2) combine garlic minced, quartered onion, tomatoes finely diced, leek diced finely, and 1/2 cup shellfish stock or water and sauté 5 mins. - 7 mins. once you have a Sofrito consistency bubbly

3) place the ingredients for the Sofrito in a Food Processor or Blender

4) season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

5) Now; boil water and add the minced cilantro in the Paellera

6) Place the ingredients from the FP or Blender in the Paellera

7) add rice, water and or shellfish stock and cover, simmering 10 mins.

8) then, add the shellfish and peeled and deveined shrimp

9) cover and on low slow flame simmer 7 to 8 mins.

10) add the sliced green chile peppers of choice and stir gently

11) the rice should be Caldoso, meaning thick soup chowder like; not without liquid and not like a consommé.

12) serve hot in bowls with a quarter of lime and a quarter of lemon to drizzle on the rice and seafood.

 

SERVE WITH HOT CORN OR WHEAT TORTILLAS AND A ROSÉ CAVA OR BLACK BEER OR MARGARITAS OR CHILLED WHITE CHILEAN SAUVIGNON BLANC ... ENJOY.

 

Margi Cintrano