3 Guys Cuban Recipe: Cuban Main Dish: Shrimp with Yellow Rice

Shrimp and Yellow Rice

Glenn: Cubans have always had a passion for seafood.

Jorge: Lobster, crab, and shrimp are big favorites.

Glenn: This Cuban classic blends the delicious flavor of yellow rice with the delicate taste of shrimp.

Raúl: Be careful not to overcook the shrimp!

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied (save shells)

2 cups diced white onion

1 1/2 cups diced red bell pepper

1 1/2 cups diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped fine

3 cups shrimp broth (see instructions)

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups parboiled rice

1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon Bijol powder (Substitute annatto seed powder or a couple of drops of yellow food coloring)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

6 strips bacon, diced

Salt, pepper, and ground cumin for seasoning shrimp

2/3 cup frozen green peas

Take the shells from the shrimp and make a broth by placing them in a 3-quart saucepan with approximately 1 quart of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Sauté the onion, red pepper, and green pepper in olive oil in a large sauté pan until the onion is translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring frequently.

Remove the simmering shrimp shells from the heat and strain out all of the shells. Take 3 cups of this shrimp broth and pour into a large covered pot.

Add chicken broth, the cooked onions and green pepper, the rice, tomatoes, Bijol, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed -- about 30 to 45 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, sauté the bacon in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to medium low and let the fat render out of the bacon, about 10 minutes. Once the fat is released, remove the bacon, increase temperature to high, and add the peeled shrimp to the hot bacon fat.

Season the shrimp lightly with salt, pepper, and a little cumin. Sauté the shrimp, flipping once after a minute or so, until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Remove shrimp from pan and set aside someplace where they will keep warm, but NOT continue cooking.

Now check the rice. Open the lid and fluff the rice up with a fork. Add the peas to the rice and carefully fold the cooked shrimp (throw in the bacon too if you so desire, and we so desire to do this most of the time) into the cooked rice and heat for about three additional minutes -- just long enough to make sure everything is hot. Serve immediately.

Serves 8-10 party-sized servings

Ingredients