Consomee

Arroz con gambas y calamar

⏱ ~75 min (est.)MediumSeafoodSpanish
Arroz con gambas y calamar

A hearty Spanish seafood built around raw king prawns, saffron and paella rice — roughly 75 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 10 steps.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 10 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (5)

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

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How to make it

  1. Peel and devein most of the prawns (a fishmonger should be able to do this for you), keeping a few whole for decoration, if you like.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or shallow flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat and fry the onion for 5 mins until softened.
  3. Add the bay leaf, saffron, rice and tomato purée, and cook for 1-2 mins more, stirring.
  4. Pour in the wine and bubble for 1-2 mins, then pour in the seafood stock and 150ml water.
  5. Cook for 5 mins, then add the squid, season well and stir to combine.
  6. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
  7. Cook for 12 mins more, adding a little more water if the mixture starts to look dry.
  8. Uncover the pan and stir through the peeled prawns, then arrange any whole prawns on top of the rice mixture.
  9. Cover again and simmer for a further 5-6 mins until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
  10. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes before serving from the pan.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan

Watch how it's made

Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.

Ingredient substitutions

White Wine
chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar

What to serve with Arroz con gambas y calamar

Tips & common questions

How long does Arroz con gambas y calamar take to make?

About 75 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 10 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of white wine?

Try chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

How should I store leftovers?

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.

Recipe data for Arroz con gambas y calamar via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.