Classic Peruvian Arroz con Mariscos (Standardized Recipe)

The definitive classic Peruvian seafood rice, standardized for business replication. Features fire-roasted smoked bell pepper for a signature smoky depth, 400 g of mixed seafood marinated in lime, seafood mother sauce and crustacean stock, finished with sautéed vegetables, and optional cream and cheese. Serves 2 portions.

40m Prep

20m Cook

1h 30m Total

2 Servings

arroz-con-mariscos clasico seafood-rice mariscos pimentón-soasado smoked-pepper langostinos peru coastal wok negocio estandarizado master-cook victor-heredia salsa-criolla yuyo leche-de-tigre

Ingredients

Aromatic

1 unit Red bell pepper (charred directly over open flame until skin blackens; placed in sealed container to sweat; skins scraped off with a knife (do not wash — smoking flavor is key))

Cooking

30 ml Vegetable oil (for the wok, heated to smoking point)

Finish

Heavy cream (optional: a little cream and grated cheese can be added before serving) optional

Garnish

Mixed sautéed vegetables (verduras) (half mixed into rice, half reserved for garnish on top)
Mussels (for plate decoration) optional
2 units Small crabs (cooked with sauce for flavor, placed on plate for presentation) optional
Salsa criolla (classic Peruvian red onion and lime relish)
Yuyo seaweed (fresh or marinated)
Leche de tigre de langostino (prawn tiger's milk sauce, poured alongside on the plate) optional

Main

500 g Cooked rice, day-old (use aged (añejo) or parboiled rice; both work)

Sauce

Seafood mother sauce (salsa madre) (pre-prepared seafood base sauce)
Crustacean stock (fondo de crustáceos) (added to reach desired consistency)
White wine (added after seafood; let alcohol evaporate 2–3 minutes)

Seafood

300 g Mixed seafood (mixtura) (can include squid, octopus, mussels, clams)
100 g Prawns / langostinos (added to bring total seafood to 400 g)
2 g Salt (0.5 g per 100 g of seafood for 400 g total)
1 lime Lime juice (squeezed over seafood; marinate 30 minutes)

Steps

1

Roast the bell pepper: place it directly over an open gas flame, turning until the skin is fully charred and black all over. Place in a sealed container and let it sweat for a few minutes. Do not wash — scrape off the burnt skin with a knife to preserve the smoke flavor. Remove seeds and veins. This is the key technique that gives this classic dish its distinctive smoky depth.

Tip: Washing the roasted pepper removes the smoke. The smoke is the point — it connects the dish to Peru's wood-fire cooking tradition.

~10 min
2

Marinate the seafood: combine 300 g mixed seafood and 100 g prawns (400 g total), 2 g salt, and the juice of 1 lime. Mix and let marinate 30 minutes for the flavors to amalgamate.

Tip: Use the lime with your fingers to keep seeds out. Wash hands frequently.

~30 min
3

Heat the wok to smoking point. Add 30 ml oil. Once at smoking temperature, add the marinated seafood and sear on maximum heat for a brief moment to get a proper Maillard reaction.

Tip: Seafood should sizzle loudly when it hits the wok. That sound means proper searing.

~2 min
4

Lower heat. Add the seafood mother sauce (1.5 ladles) and a splash of crustacean stock. Let come to a boil. Add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate 2–3 minutes.

Tip: Remove the prawns briefly at this point if they are large — they are the most delicate and will overcook. Return them at the end.

~5 min
5

Add the small crabs and heat through briefly so they absorb the flavors. Then add the 500 g day-old cooked rice. Stir and mix well. Add the roasted bell pepper strips. Let the rice absorb the sauce and dry slightly.

Tip: The dish should be dry but not bone-dry. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

~5 min
6

Add half the sautéed vegetables and fold in gently. Optionally add a splash of cream and grated cheese before the final plating.

~2 min
7

Plate the rice. Decorate with the reserved warm vegetables on top, mussel shells, small crabs, and cooked prawns arranged around the plate. Pour a small amount of leche de tigre de langostino on the side. Add fresh salsa criolla and a nest of yuyo seaweed. Finish with strips of roasted red pepper on top for color.

Tip: Salsa criolla never fails in a classic Peruvian plate — it adds brightness and acidity that cuts the richness of the seafood.

~3 min

Nutrition (per serving)

480

Calories

32g

Protein

55g

Carbs

14g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

This is the classic arroz con mariscos as made in homes and restaurants across Peru's coast — the one every grandmother made over a wood fire. Victor Heredia's defining technique is fire-roasting the bell pepper directly over an open flame to impart a smoky, charred flavor reminiscent of that leña (wood-fire) cooking. The dish is finished with salsa criolla, leche de tigre, and fresh yuyo seaweed in its traditional restaurant presentation — a layered tribute to Peru's coastal culinary identity.