Chilean Sea Bass + Shrimp Stewed Rice With Hot Pickled Onions

My whole life, as I remember it, I have hated cilantro.

I guess I had “the gene” that everyone talks about, the one that makes it taste soapy instead of fresh. My mom and all of the other cilantro-loving people in my family always speak of this fresh bite that cilantro effortlessly adds to any dish, but my senses have always been blind to it. It was the only herb I hadn’t liked, easily ruining any taco, guac, or salsa it appeared in for me.

I speak in the past tense because something magical happened the other day. And I no longer hate cilantro. In fact, I kind of love it.

I work at a coffee shop that also happens to have tacos, nachos, quesadillas, etc (and the best breakfast tacos ever - seriously - I know I’m biased but I’m not lying). Mexican food and coffee used to sound repulsive to me. I remember one occassion in high school where I had leftover Mexican food for lunch and was still sipping on my morning coffee — I swear the horrifying taste of fajitas washed down with a plain latte haunted me for months after — but now it’s probably in my top 10 of favorite combinations.

Anyway, the point is I am surrounded by a lot of cilantro at work. One specific day when I was working, I started to get hungry and decided to make some tacos on a break. I made my usual: corn tortillas, vegan chorizo, grilled onions, A LOT of lime, fresh jalapeños, maybe some cotija cheese if I’m feeling it, and salsa. As I was just about to sit down to eat, I found the bucket of fresh cilantro I was clearly avoiding staring back at me. I impulsively grabbed a generous handful and threw it on top of my already stuffed tacos. Reluctantly, I bit into one. And it was incredible.

So that was a really dramatized story of how I came to like cilantro, and now I can’t get enough of it. I’ve been throwing it on top of anything and everything — salads, soups, grain bowls, the occasional fresh jalapeño stuffed with gobs of it along with even more lime juice (and biting into it like a carrot stick), and of course, this dish that we’re talking about today.

My new found love for cilantro has inspired me with so many new recipes, and this one is pretty damn tasty, so I have cilantro to thank for that. There is one meal that, if it’s on the menu, I’ll get at any restaurant: a fish stew. If it’s an Italian restaurant, cioppino. If it’s French, bouillabaisse. If it’s Spanish, Suquet. If it’s Mexican, like in this case, arroz a la tumbada.

Originally I was going for a Spanish style Chilean Sea Bass dish, which then turned into me drawing inspiration from my favorite dish at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Fayetteville, Tula. In the end it turned into this Mexican-Spanish hybrid of a thickened fish stew (because my dad refused to eat a soupier stew). The olives, cilantro, lime, and spicy pickled onions surprisingly work so well together and play so well with all of the other ingredients in the actual dish.

Despite the lengthy list of spices, this dish is really so easy and quick to make. With just about 20 minutes of prep time and 30ish minutes of cooking time, this is a 2-pot meal that can be on your dinner table in less than hour.

Chilean Sea Bass + Shrimp Stewed Rice with Hot Pickled Onions

“Arroz a la tumbada”

Serves 5

• 1 1/4 cup dry white rice

• 1 pound deveined and peeled shrimp (roughly 20 shrimp)

• 4 fillets Chilean Sea Bass (or your white fish of choice)

• 1/2 tsp. each: paprika, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander

• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 1 15 oz. can clam sauce (can substitute fish stock)

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 red onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• 5 Calabrian peppers in oil

• 2 tsp. each: paprika, salt, black pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp. each: ground coriander, dried oregano, dried tarragon, chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 2 tbs. + 1 tbs. + 1 tbs. + 1 tbs. olive oil, separated

• Pickled red onions: 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 2 tbs. red wine vinegar, 1 tbs. agave nectar, 1 tbs. oil from jarred Calabrian peppers in oil, 1/4 tsp. salt

Thinly slice the garlic cloves and dice the full green pepper and 1/2 of the red onion. Save the other half for later. Roughly chop the Calabrian peppers and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil In a large pot over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the garlic, green pepper, and red onion. Let this soften and caramelize while prepping the hot pickled onions:

Thinly slice the remaining 1/2 of the red onion. Add to a jar and add in the rest of the pickling ingredients. Shake well and set aside to let pickle until ready to serve.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper into the softened peppers and onions and give it a stir. Once softened and golden brown, lower the heat and add in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Bring the heat to a high, add in 1 more tablespoon of oil, the chopped Calabrian peppers, and the rice. Stir until the rice is lightly toasted and golden. Add in the bay leavees, tomato sauce, clam sauce, diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer while the fish cooks.

Mix together the 1/2 tsp. each of paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander. Toss this with the shrimp and gently rub on the Chilean sea bass. Heat a large cast iron skillet without oil over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until your hand feels hot hovering over the surface. At this point, add in 1 tablespoon of oil and the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is 3/4 of the way cooked, lightly golden and opaque for the most part. Move to a dish and set aside. Add in the remaining tablespoon of oil and the fillets. Cook on the first side for roughly 4 minutes, or until it peels away effortlessly from the skillet and is golden brown. Turn the heat to medium and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes, or until the center of the fish is flakey and opaque (about 90% cooked). Immediately remove from the heat.

Remove the cover from the rice and give it a stir. The liquid should be mostly absorbed and the rice should be almost al dente, (al dente is how we want it for this dish). Add in 1 more cup of water, all of the remaining spices, and the shrimp. Stir well and gently lay the chilea sea bass pieces on top. Cover and cook again for 5-10 more minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked but still has a bite to it.Prepare your toppings in the meantime by chopping fresh cilantro, cutting lime wedges, and slicing Spanish olives stuffed with pimientos.

Taste the dish and add more spices to taste. Serve and top with cilantro, lime, sliced olives, and the pickled red onions.