Arroz de Marisco

Arroz de marisco is a wet, intensely flavoured rice dish packed with clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, and sometimes lobster. The rice is cooked in a rich shellfish stock with tomato, onion, garlic, and coriander, resulting in a soupy consistency that Portuguese call "malandrinho" — neither dry nor a soup, but somewhere in between.

Found in restaurants along the entire Portuguese coast, the best versions use whatever shellfish is freshest that day. The dish demands constant attention, with stock added gradually as the rice absorbs it. Arroz de marisco is festive, communal food, served directly from the pot at the centre of the table.