Say "Boa Noite" To Portuguese Tomato Rice
And a little recommendation for the heatwave...
Let me tell you one thing straight: this dish is better than risotto. A lot better. Why? Because it doesn’t expect too much from you. There’s no stirring, it’s light on the wallet, and it’s perfect for the heat, ‘cause it’ll replenish all those sweats with its salty, refreshing tomatoey-ness.
I first tried it at an amazing restaurant called O Buraco in Porto. The kind of establishment where husbands and wives dine while watching game shows or football from a TV in the corner. In most countries I’ve visited, I’ve found that a TV in a restaurant is a sign of somewhere great to eat. This place somehow made even a boiled potato taste creamy and memorable. But the standout dish was this rice, served still in its hot pan.
It’s amazing served with fried or grilled fish like bass, bream, or sardines. Silvery grilled fish on orange, gleaming rice, it’s a sight to behold, really it is. You could just serve it as-is though, or with some grilled chicken.
Portugal is also king of the simple salad. Lettuce, LOTS of raw onion, carrot or tomato, maybe cucumber, dressed with oil and lots of salt. Maybe some red wine vinegar at the table. Have a bit of that with this rice. You’ll be YELLING obrigada all night long.
While you’re waiting for the rice to cook, you can drink wine, have a cold bath, or prepare and grill your fishy friends. The possibilities are endless.
Portuguese Tomato Rice
Serves 3-4
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, peeled chopped, roughly seeded
2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup paella rice
Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan until melted. Add the roughly chopped onion, with some salt to stop them browning, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes by scoring them and blanching in boiling water for 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel, and chop into cubes, deseeding roughly as you go.
Season the tomatoes while they are on the chopping board with plenty of salt and pepper. Add the chopped garlic to the pan now. After a few minutes, add the tomatoes and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes on a low heat.
Add the broth, and bring to a boil, then add the rice carefully, sprinkling it around the pan. You don’t want to stir the rice at all, so try to distribute it evenly at this stage.
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Give everything a stir, then finish with some melted butter all around the pan and some chopped fresh parsley if you have it.
Liz Truss, the self-appointed champion of British cheese, once came into a cheese shop I worked in and brusquely asked for ‘the British Brie’. I knew I recognised her face, but by the time I’d clocked who she was and was ready to give her my two-pence, she was already out the door, shaking her fist at some other poor sod who didn’t quite dance to the snap of her fingers, no doubt.
Well, I had a laugh this week when I saw this picture of Liz in the lead up to her bid to be Tory Party leader. Four words: god help us all.
Don’t order on delivery apps in a heatwave. “God, I’m hot. Oh I know, I’ll just order some ice cream/cold beer/ice on Deliveroo/Uber Eats” or even worse, you-know-where. NO!! Would you want to cycle in the 38-43°c heat that most of England is melting in this week? Exactly. So don’t make someone else do it, or I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to label you at best, a numpty, and at worst, an enemy of the workers.
Instead, support the unions and organisations on Twitter who are rightly demanding full pay and compensation for drivers, who should stay at home in this weather.
Thank you for reading ‘What’s That You’re Cooking, Thea?!’ It’s great to have you here! Stay cool and see you next time.