Mediterranean Shrimp Rice Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 10 cups of water to a boil.
• Stir in 1 tblsp salt.
• Add the rice and cook uncovered over medium heat until al dente, about 15 minutes.
• Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain again.
• Place the rice in a large serving bowl.
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and stir in 1 tblsp of the lemon juice.
• Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 1 ½ minutes.
• Drain the shrimp.
• Transfer to a work surface and chop into small pieces.
• Toss the rice with ¼ cup of th e oil and the remaining 3 tblsps lemon juice.
• Add the shrimp, tomatoes, fennel, scallions, dill and garlic; toss.
• Add up to 1 tblsp more of oil.
• Season with salt and crushed red pepper.
• Let stand for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• If you are using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw it properly before using in this recipe. For quick thawing, take the shrimp out of its package, put it in a bowl of cold water and place it in your sink. Allow a very small drizzle of cold water from your faucet to run into the bow (it should take no longer than 15 minutes to thaw).
• Rinse and soak the rice. The first thing to do is to rinse the rice well. This helps get rid of excess starch which is what tends to make rice too sticky. Cover the rice with water, stir, and let soak for a few minutes then change the water. Do this 2 or 3 times until the water isn't cloudy anymore. Then add another round of water and continue to soak the rice. This helps it cook quickly and evenly. That's because when you soak the rice, you're kick-starting the water absorption process before the rice hits the pan. White Basmati rice does not need to soak for too long, 20 minutes should do the trick (you can do this while you thaw frozen shrimp). Bonus, when you shorten the rice cooking time, you're also preserving its aromatic flavor.
• In a large, deep pan with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup each chopped red onion and bell pepper. Add celery, minced garlic, 1 cup peas, and the chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley). Cook for about 3 minutes to give the veggies a chance to soften a bit.
• Add all of the spices (coriander, cumin, pepper, paprika, turmeric, salt). Toss around and cook a couple more minutes so the spices release their flavor.
• Add the drained rice. Toss to combine. Add the water and bring to a boil until the liquid is reduced by about 1/2. Watch the liquid amount, it should not dry out but it should be just covering the top of the rice. At this point, turn the heat to low, cover the pan well with the lid and leave it alone for about 10 minutes.
• Check the rice. Once it's almost done, add the shrimp, mix everything together, cover and continue to cook on low for about 5 minutes.
• Shrimp should be done when pink and opaque. If still gray and somewhat translucent, turn off the heat, keep the pot covered, and let sit for five minutes more.