Neither seafood paella nor the “gentleman's” paella: this is the surf and turf rice recipe that everyone in Aragon should know

The recipe for rice with borage and clams is one of those dishes that demonstrates how a product so closely linked to Aragon as borage can be the star of a high-level dish and highlights one of the main products of Aragonese gastronomy.

Ingredients for preparing rice with borage and clams

To prepare this rice with borage and clams, not many ingredients are needed and the preparation of the dish is not overly complex.

To begin, these are the recommended ingredients (and quantities):

• 800 grams of borage
• 500 grams of clams
• Half a glass of bomba rice
• 1,250 milliliters of fish stock
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 1 small glass of white wine
• 1 heaped tablespoon of flour
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Shall
• 1 cayenne pepper, optionally

Other recipes propose a simpler version, made only with rice, borage, clams, garlic, parsley, oil, fish stock, flour and salt.

How to make rice with borage and clams step by step

This is the step-by-step recipe for preparing rice with borage and clams, a rice dish with an authentic Aragonese flavor:

• Cleaning the borage: The first step is to thoroughly clean the borage, removing the leaves and any tough fibers. Then, cut the stems into sticks a few centimeters long.
• To cook the borage: Cook the borage for about eight minutes and, once cooked, quickly plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
• Preparing the clams: The clams should be soaked in salt water for about an hour beforehand to expel any sand they may contain.
• To prepare the sofrito: In a large saucepan, add olive oil and sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic. Add the parsley and, if you want a spicy touch, a cayenne pepper.
• Add the clams: Add the clams and the white wine. Cover the pot and let it cook for about three or four minutes, until the clams begin to open.
• Reserve the clams: When they are open, remove the clams from the pot and also reserve the liquid they have released, which will help to add flavor to the rice.
• Add the flour: In the same saucepan, add a tablespoon of flour and sauté for a few seconds. Then add the remaining wine and let it reduce.
• Add the rice: Add the bomba rice and sauté for approximately half a minute so that it is well coated with the sofrito.
• Add the stock: Add the clam juice and top up with fish stock until you reach approximately 1.25 liters of liquid. Add chopped parsley and adjust the salt.
• Cooking the rice: The rice is cooked uncovered over medium heat, checking the cooking time so that it is cooked to your liking and retains enough liquid.
• Add the borage: When the rice is starting to become tender, add the borage, which has been well drained. Let everything cook together for about two or three minutes.
• Add the clams: Finally, add the clams back in and cook for another two or three minutes.
• Check the rice: Taste the rice and adjust the salt if necessary. The goal is to achieve a creamy rice, well combined with the broth and with the flavor of the borage and clams fully integrated.

Once ready, it is recommended to serve immediately, making sure to distribute the borage and clams evenly in each dish, and this is a different way of eating one of the star products of the Aragonese recipe book.