As I dream of a long due sun-soaked European Mediterranean holiday, why not take matters into your own hands and bring a little taste of it yourself at home, right?! For me, seafood rice is my Mediterranean holiday staple. Whether it’s Portugal, Spain, or southern France, seafood rice (or could be paella) is definitely one that I always opt for at restaurants. This isn’t a traditional European seafood rice recipe. I wanted to make it extra special at home with an extra oomph of flavour, which prompted me to spike it with a touch of black garlic to perk up all the flavours. We also enjoy a little kick of heat by adding just a tiny bit of chillies in there as well. It’s safe to say that the results were fantastic and the dish was incredibly hearty to taste. This Black Garlic Mussels Seafood Rice recipe is definitely one you’d one to keep up your sleeves!
The recipe takes inspiration mostly from the seafood rice dishes I had in Portugal. I was dreaming of the lobster rice I had at my favourite Cervejario Ramiro in Lisbon, as well as the seafood rice at Marisqueira Costa Nova and Arroz de Forno in Porto. Black garlic is a fantastic ingredient to play around with. If you’ve tried my Black Garlic Miso Mushroom Risotto recipe before, you’d know how much more umami this ingredient adds to the dish. I used mussels as it’s more convenient to find in the UK, but you can use other shellfish such as clams & lobster, and feel free to throw in some squid, scallops, etc. in there as well!
How to make Black Garlic Seafood Mussels Rice
Ingredients you need
- Mussels
- Olive Oil
- Onion, Garlic – the aromatics
- Chilli Flakes / Fresh Red Chillies (optional) – to add a little spike of heat
- Tomato Paste
- Black Garlic Paste
- Oregano
- Bomba Rice
- Bay Leaf
- Fish Stock – or chicken/vegetable stock
- Salt & Black Pepper – to taste
- Chives – for garnish
Recipe Notes
Bomba Rice vs Arborio Rice
Both Bomba and Arborio Rice are short-grain rice. Bomba Rice originates in Spain and is commonly used for paellas. Whereas Arborio Rice is from Italy and is used for cooking risotto. Whilst somewhat similar, I personally would not recommend substituting Bomba rice with Arborio. I’ve found that Arborio rice takes much more liquid to cook and the texture came out mushier, which isn’t quite the desired texture for this seafood rice recipe. You can find Bomba rice at the likes of Waitrose, Spanish stores, or on Amazon.
How to clean Mussels
There are various mussels varieties and those you typically find in UK supermarkets are black mussels. They are usually ready to cook straight out of the package without the need to worry about cleaning them. However, if you got them fresh or directly from a fishmonger, it is very easy to clean the mussels before cooking. It would be the same as how you’d clean clams as listed in the steps for the Miso Garlic Clams Noodle Soup recipe:
(1) Soak the mussels in water for about 20-30 minutes. This is to allow them to spit out any sand & grit.
(2) Lift the mussels from the water and discard the dirty water. Give them a rinse with clean water.
(3) If need to, give the shells a scrub under running clean water.
Black Garlic
Firstly, black garlic is aged & fermented garlic, offering an enhanced flavour and a deeply caramelised taste. You can find Black Garlic at the likes of Waitrose or higher-end/gourmet shops. Alternatively, it is also available on Amazon. I used Black Garlic Paste in this recipe for convenience but they can be used interchangeably.
Looking for more seafood recipes? Check these out too:
Black Garlic Mussels Seafood Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes (or 1-2 Fresh Red Chillies) optional
- 1 tsp Black Garlic Paste
- 1.5 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 250 g Bomba Rice
- 750 ml Fish Stock (or chicken/vegetable stock)
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 400 g Mussels (shell-on) or other shellfish/seafood mix
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
- Fresh Chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened & golden in colour.2 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Onion
- Add garlic and red chilli flakes. Saute for a few minutes until fragrant.2-3 cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes (or 1-2 Fresh Red Chillies)
- Stir in black garlic paste and tomato paste. Then toss in the Bomba rice until fully coated and lightly toasted.1 tsp Black Garlic Paste, 1.5 tbsp Tomato Paste, 250 g Bomba Rice
- Add the stock, dried oregano, and bay leaf. Let simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. You can add more water if it gets dry.750 ml Fish Stock (or chicken/vegetable stock), 1 tsp Dried Oregano, 1 Bay Leaf
- Season with salt & black pepper. Then stir in the mussels and cover to cook for another 5 minutes.400 g Mussels (shell-on), Salt & Black Pepper
- Garnish with fresh chives and serve immediately.Fresh Chives
Notes
- It is not recommended to substitute Bomba Rice with Arborio Rice despite the fact that they’re both short-grain rice varieties. Arborio Rice takes more liquid to cook and yields a mushier texture, therefore Bomba Rice is preferred for this recipe.
- If the mussels you bought are fresh ones, please clean them in the following steps before cooking:
- Soak the mussels in water for about 20-30 minutes to allow them to spit out any sand & grit.
- Lift the mussels from the water and discard the dirty water. Give them a rinse with clean water.
- If need to, give the shells a scrub under running clean water.
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