Seafood Pilau Recipes

CAJUN-STYLE RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Boil sausage in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes. While the sausage is boiling, remove the shells from the shrimp. Put shells and tails in 2 cups of water. Bring shrimp water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Grill the sausage links for about 5 minutes or until they are completely cooked through. Brush the shrimp with 1/2 tablespoon oil and grill about 2 minutes per side. Pull off and set aside.
• Heat a medium pot on medium high heat and add vegetable oil, onions, and red pepper. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add Cajun seasoning and rice; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the Syrah Rose, stir for a few seconds, and strain the shrimp stock into the pot. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the shrimp and sausage into bite-sized pieces.
• Once rice is done, add peas, shrimp, and sausage and cook for another 2 minutes to heat through. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Garnish with chopped green onions.

SHRIMP PILAF

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a deep, heavy 4-5 quart pan over medium heat; add shrimp and cook, stirring, until almost opaque throughout, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Lift out and set aside (shrimp will get more cooking time later).
• Pour pan juices into a 1-quart measuring cup; add clam juice and enough water to make 2 1/2 cups, set aside.
• Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in pan over medium heat; add onion and garlic, cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice and turmeric; cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, add celery, salt, pepper and clam juice mixture.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is almost tender to bite, about 15 minutes.
• With a fork, lightly mix tomatoes and peas into rice; scatter shrimp over top, cover and continue to cook until rice is tender to bite and liquid is absorbed, about 10 more minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley.

EASY PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Prepare a 1 quart baking dish with butter.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the onion in the butter until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rice; cook until the rice is slightly golden. Pour in the chicken broth. Season with the salt. Simmer another 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the broth is completely absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes. Fluff with a fork to serve.

SHRIMP RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook garlic until tender and fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
• Add shrimp and mix well; stir in rice.
• Pour in stock and bring to a boil; cover.
• Reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Stir in dill; season with salt and pepper to taste.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Fry the onion in the oil in a 16-inch paella pan until soft, stirring often. Stir in the garlic, and before it begins to color, add the tomatoes. Add the sugar, salt to taste, pimentón (or paprika), and saffron, stir well, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a jammy sauce and the oil is sizzling. Add the squid and cook, stirring, for a minute or so. Add the rice and stir well until all the grains are coated. (You can prepare the dish to this point up to an hour in advance.)
• Bring the stock and wine to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the rice, bring to a boil, and add salt to taste (even if the broth tastes a bit salty, it will not be salty when it is absorbed by the rice). Stir well and spread the rice out evenly in the pan (do not stir again). Cook the rice over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, moving the pan around and rotating it so that the rice cooks evenly. Lay the shrimp on top after 10 minutes and turn them when they have become pink on the first side. Add a little more hot stock toward the end if the rice seems too dry and you hear crackly frying noises before it is done. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a large piece of foil.
• Steam the mussels with a finger of water in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. As soon as they open, they are cooked. Throw away any that have not opened.
• Arrange the mussels on top of the paella.