My Dominican Food

Smoked Herring With Rice Or Locrio de Arenque

When I cook smoked herring with rice or locrio de arenque, my mind is filled with memories of my college days. This recipe was cooked very often at the dining hall's university where I studied (I graduated from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo or UASD) in Dominican Republic.

I had so much fun with my friends back then, maybe that's one of the reasons I like this recipe so much. It's different, so if you haven't tasted it yet I invite you to enjoy this traditional dominican food.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs long white rice
• 1 1/2 lb smoked herring
• 1 big white onion cut into wheels
• 1 lb ripe chopped tomatoes
• 1 gem squash slice cut into small pieces (remove the seeds)
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• A bit of chopped leek
• 2 tablespoons minced or smashed garlic
• 3 teaspoons vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable or extra virgin olive oil (for a healthier meal)
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 liters of water
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (if you like it a bit spicy, but it's optional)

Directions:

Cook the herring in a pot with some water on medium high heat until it begins to boil. Remove from the heat and change the water (this is to remove some of the salt that comes with the herring). Let it cool down. Cut it into small pieces and clean all the fish bones. Put it in the 4 liters of water and set aside for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. After that time, drain the herring and keep the water for later.

I like to cook my smoked herring with rice recipe in a cast aluminium caldero, but if you don't have one, you can use a stainless steel pot.

Heat half the oil in the pot of your choice on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, the tomatoes, the gem squash pieces, green pepper, the tomato paste and vinegar. Stir and sautee for a minute. Add the herring, stir and pour the water you kept before.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, taste and if you think it needs some more, add another 1/2 teaspoon. Taste again, if it needs more salt, add the other 1/2 teaspoon. Add the chopped leek and the Tabasco sauce (remember that this ingredient is spicy, so it's optional) and stir everything.

When boiling, add the washed rice. Cook until the water has consumed, stirring constantly. Pour the reamining oil and cover. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes or more. Uncover and stir. Your smoked herring with rice is ready when the rice is tender. If not, cook for five minutes more.

Turn off the heat, serve with a salad of your choice and enjoy. :-)) 

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