Arroz de marisco is the trail-day's reward: carolino rice cooked soupy in a stock drawn from shells and heads, coloured with tomato and pepper, finished with coriander and loaded with prawns, clams, mussels and crab.
Less ceremony than the cataplana, more abundance than the grill — served bubbling in the pot for two, with the broth concentrating at the bottom where the last spoonfuls argue their case. The family houses of the Lagoa coast treat it as the dependable centrepiece year-round.
Order it when the table walked the full 5.7 kilometres and means to be repaid.
⭐ Must-try:
Arroz de marisco no tacho
Highlights
- Soupy carolino rice in shellfish stock
- Prawns, clams, mussels and crab throughout
- Finished with coriander, served bubbling
- The pot for hungry trail tables
- Best at the bottom, where the broth thickens
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from cataplana?
Cataplana steams shellfish in the sealed pan; arroz de marisco is soupy rice cooked in shellfish stock — homier and more filling.
Is it for one?
Practically never — it arrives in a pot for two or more.