Arroz de sarrabulho

Editorial content from Empório Portugal. Traditional recipes may vary by region, family and cook.

About the recipe

Arroz de sarrabulho belongs to Minho’s traditional pig-slaughter cuisine, when none of the pig is wasted and the blood goes into dishes with a strong identity.

The texture should be creamy and enveloping, with rice well combined with the giblet broth, chouriço and spices — a dish for a shared table and long conversation.

As with many Portuguese recipes, there are variations by municipality, family and cook — some versions are more liquid, others thicker; the pepper and wine profile also changes depending on local tradition.

Ingredients

• 400 g of carolino rice
• 1.5 l of pork giblet broth
• 300 ml pork blood seasoned with vinegar
• 200 g chouriço de carne
• 150 g pork ribs (entrecosto) or diced pork
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh parsley

Method

1. Prepare the giblet broth in advance, straining it and setting it aside hot.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; Add the pork and let it brown.
3. Add the chouriço in slices and let it release its aroma without drying it out.
4. Add the rice and stir through the sautéed base for a minute or two.
5. Pour in the hot broth, little by little, stirring like a risotto until the rice is almost cooked.
6. Add the seasoned blood in a thin stream, stirring constantly to avoid curdling, and adjust salt and pepper.
7. Cook over low heat until the rice is creamy and the liquid is absorbed.
8. Let it rest for two minutes, sprinkle with parsley and serve very hot.

Tips from Empório Portugal

• The blood should be well seasoned with vinegar and stirred before it is added to the rice.
• Hot broth and controlled heat prevent sticky rice or curdled blood.
• Serve immediately after cooking — the texture loses elegance if it cools too much.

Possible replacements in Brazil

• In a domestic context without fresh giblets, strong meat broth can approximate the flavour, with a loss of authenticity.
• Chouriço de vinha-d’alhos can replace chouriço de carne in more aromatic versions from the Minho coast.

Pairing

A young red Vinho Verde or a full-bodied Minho red wine. For people over 18 years old; drink in moderation.