Puerto Rican FoodCreamy Coconut Rice with Red Snapper, Roasted Squash, and Garlicky Tostón Crunch
An original Puerto Rican main dish featuring creamy rice cooked with coconut milk and sofrito, bites of adobo-seasoned red snapper, roasted squash, and a crunchy finish of garlicky tostones with cilantro. It delivers bold island flavor, comforting texture, and an eye-catching finish perfect for a special meal.
Ingredients
- 450 g red snapper fillet (skinless, cut diced large)
- 8 g Puerto Rican adobo seasoning (divided)
- 30 ml lime juice (fresh)
- 300 g Puerto Rican squash (pelada and diced small)
- 45 ml olive oil (divided)
- 4 g salt (or to taste)
- 1 g black pepper (freshly ground)
- 12 g garlic (chopped, divided)
- 220 g green plantain (1 inch)
- 480 ml vegetable oil (for frying the tostones)
- 200 g medium-grain rice (enjuagado and escurrido)
- 120 ml sofrito (casero or preparado)
- 30 g tomato paste
- 400 ml coconut milk (without endulzar)
- 360 ml fish stock or water (hot)
- 1 unit bay leaf
- 12 g fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 14 g butter
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. In a bowl, mix the red snapper cubes with 1 teaspoon of the adobo seasoning and the lime juice. Let rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- 2
On another tray or plate, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, turning once, until tender and browned on the edges.
- 3
While the squash roasts, heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches about 175 °C / 350 °F. Fry the green plantain slices for 3 to 4 minutes until tender but still pale. Remove and drain.
- 4
Flatten the fried slices to form tostones. Mash 2 garlic cloves with a pinch of salt and mix with 1 tablespoon cilantro and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush that mixture over the tostones and fry them again at 190 °C / 375 °F for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Drain and set aside.
- 5
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the sofrito and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, stirring.
- 6
Add the rice to the pot and coat it well with the sofrito for 1 minute. Pour in the coconut milk and the hot fish stock or water. Add the bay leaf, the remaining adobo seasoning, and the remaining salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 7
Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the rice uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally so it releases starch and turns creamy. If it reduces too quickly, add a small splash of extra hot water.
- 8
When the rice is almost tender, fold in the seasoned red snapper cubes and the roasted squash. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more over low heat, stirring gently, until the fish is cooked through and the rice is creamy.
- 9
Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf and stir in half of the fresh cilantro. Let rest for 2 minutes so the rice settles.
- 10
Serve the creamy rice in shallow bowls and finish with the crunchy broken-up tostones on top and the remaining fresh cilantro.
- 11
If you want a looser finish, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water just before serving and stir gently.
Chef tips
To keep the snapper from falling apart, cut it into large cubes and add it near the end of cooking. The tostones stay crunchier if you add them at the very end in large pieces.
Substitutions
You can substitute the red snapper with grouper or mahi-mahi. The squash can be replaced with cubed sweet potato. If you do not have fish stock, use hot water with an extra pinch of adobo.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
Illustrative imageT-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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