Tomato Rice with Grey Mullet Fish

The rice is made with tomato and onion; the fish is coated in flour before going into the frying pan. In this recipe from Cabeça Gorda, in the municipality of Beja, the side dish and fried fish are prepared separately and brought together on the plate just before serving.

The Alentejo Gastronomic Guide recorded this preparation from Mariana in 2012, listing horse mackerel or hake. Here we use horse mackerel, fried until golden and served with freshly made tomato rice.

Estimated yield: 4 people
Preparation: about 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 30–35 minutes, with the fish and rice prepared simultaneously
Estimated total time: 45–50 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 kg small or medium horse mackerel, cleaned and prepared
• 300 g Carolino rice
• 500 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 40 ml of Azête Figueirinha Extra Virgin
• 900 ml hot water, plus a little more if needed
• 80 g plain flour, for coating the fish
• Sunflower oil, as needed for frying, enough to form a layer about 1 cm deep in the frying pan
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Season and dry the fish.
   Pat the horse mackerel dry with kitchen paper, season with salt and keep it in the fridge while you prepare the rice base. Before flouring, remove any moisture that has formed on the surface.
2. Sauté the onion.
   Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Soften over medium heat for about 5–7 minutes, stirring and taking care not to let it burn.
3. Cook the rice with the tomato.
   Add the tomato, 900 ml of hot water and a little salt. Once it comes to a boil, add the rice and stir to loosen the grains. Simmer gently for about 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked but still holds its shape. If the liquid reduces before the rice is ready, add hot water a little at a time. Finish with some broth between the grains and serve immediately.
4. Flour and fry the horse mackerel.
   While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a wide frying pan to about 170–180 °C. Coat the fish in flour and shake off the excess. Fry in small batches without overlapping, for about 3–5 minutes on each side, depending on size. The crust should be golden and the flesh opaque next to the backbone, coming away easily; as a more reliable check, ensure it reaches 75 °C for 30 seconds at the thickest part, without touching the bone. Adjust the heat if the outside browns before the inside is cooked.
5. Drain and serve.
   Remove the fish and place it on kitchen paper or a wire rack to drain briefly. Serve the rice in a bowl and the horse mackerel on a platter, keeping the fish out of the broth to preserve the crust. Time the end of frying to coincide with the rice being ready.

Tips for the rice and frying

Choose horse mackerel of a similar size so you can better control how each batch cooks. Coat them in flour just before they go into the pan: damp flour forms a thick, uneven coating.

The rice continues to absorb liquid after it is taken off the heat. Leave it a little looser than you want it to be on the plate, and don’t leave it waiting while you finish all the frying. If you need to fry the fish in batches, start frying as soon as you add the rice.

Wine pairing

Serve with Figueirinha Branco 2024, at 11–12 °C. The wine’s freshness complements the acidity of the tomato and balances the fried fish without overpowering its flavour.

Preparing ahead and storing

You can chop the onion and prepare the tomato ahead of time and keep them in the fridge, but cook the rice and fry the fish close to serving time.

If you have rice left over, transfer it to shallow containers, cool it quickly and refrigerate it, ideally within 1 hour. Eat within 24 hours and reheat only once, until piping hot throughout. Refrigerate the fish separately within 2 hours and eat within 48 hours; the crust will lose some of its crispness.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use hake instead of horse mackerel?

Yes. Hake is the other option listed in the source. Use steaks of a similar thickness, dry them, season them and coat them in flour. Frying time depends on thickness; check that the centre is cooked rather than automatically using the same cooking time as for horse mackerel.

Why does the flour come off during frying?

The fish may be too damp, have too much flour on it or have been turned before the coating had set. Dry it, shake off the excess flour and let the crust form before carefully turning it.

The rice dried out before it was cooked. How can I fix it?

Add a little boiling water, stir to distribute it and keep at a gentle simmer. Repeat only if needed, checking the rice and adjusting the salt at the end.

Another recipe from Beja

Also try Seafood Açorda in Beja Bread, made with the cooking broth from the prawns and clams.

Source and adaptations

Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 725, “Tomato Rice with Fish”, Cabeça Gorda, Beja. Interview with Mariana by Ana Rita, ADPM, in 2012.

Recipe collected in the Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the blog “À Mesa com o Alentejo”. The source does not specify the ingredients or cooking times. The quantities, yield for four people, choice of carolino rice, temperature and timings are estimates for this adaptation. We have kept the rice with onion and tomato, and the fish salted, floured and fried separately.

Illustrative photograph generated by artificial intelligence.