THE COME-HITHER scent of the charcoal grill hangs over the streets of Lisbon all summer, regardless of such small matters as the European Championship finals coming and going.

A summer holiday in Europe’s westernmost city means scorchy sardinhas grelhadas (grilled sardines) at a trestle table outdoors at Pateo 13 in Alfama as the smoke tangles in your hair, and tender frango no churrasco, finger-licking charcoal-roasted chicken served with chips, salad, and a fiery piri piri sauce at the lively Bonjardim in Travessa de Santo Antao.

At this time of year the heat makes the narrow, winding lanes ooze like lava down the seven hills, and it is difficult to imagine eating anything more than a platter of presunto (cured ham) and melon, followed by a bowl of deep red cherries in iced water.

But when dinner time (finally) rolls around, there you are ordering paprika-spiked chourico, crisp golden salt cod cakes known as bolinhos de bacalhau, and even caldereida, a rich bouillabaisse-like fish stew using 6 to 8 types of lean and oily fish and often shellfish.

My new favourite Portuguese summer holiday food, however, is arroz de tamboril, or monkfish rice with prawns and chorizo. It is far more of a wet rice soup than a dry rice dish such as Spanish paella or even Italian risotto.

Not only is it one of the best rice dishes I have come across, it is one of the best ways of cooking and eating monkfish. Obrigada (thank you), Lisbon. Mais, por favor (more, please).



Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Serves 4

This works well with other thick, meaty fish such as cod.



600g monkfish fillets, skinned
8 raw prawns, unpeeled
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
2 chorizo sausages, sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1.3 litres hot stock (vegetable or fish)
400g risotto rice
1 tsp Spanish paprika
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and pepper
2 tbsp flat parsley leaves, torn
1 lemon

METHOD

Cut the fish into healthy, bite-sized pieces.

Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the fish and prawns on all sides until they change colour. Remove to a plate and season well. Add the remaining oil and cook the onion, garlic, red pepper and chorizo and fry for 10 minutes, stirring well. Add the tomatoes, stock or water and bring to the boil. Add the (unwashed) rice, paprika, bay leaves, salt and pepper, stirring well.

Reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is almost cooked but still wet and soupy (add more stock if not). Add the monkfish, prawns and parsley and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Scatter with parsley and serve in warm pasta bowls, with lemon wedges for squeezing.

jill.dupleix@thetimes.co.uk

TIMESONLINE www.timesonline.co.uk/foodandwine - for previous recipes from T2

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