[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":415},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:panamanian-guacho-de-mariscos":3,"recipe:country:panama":205},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":76,"diet":78,"mainIngredients":82,"ingredients":87,"instructions":156,"nutrition":180,"images":187,"keywords":197,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-guacho-de-mariscos","Guacho de Mariscos (Panamanian Soupy Seafood Rice)","Guacho de mariscos","GWAH-choh deh mah-REES-kohs","panama","Darién and Colón","🍚","Rice cooked deliberately past dry into a thick, starchy porridge loaded with shrimp, squid and clams, softened with coconut milk and perfumed with culantro. Coastal Panama in one pot.","Guacho is rice cooked wrong on purpose. Where most cooks fight to keep grains separate, a guacho is stirred and pushed until the starch comes out and the whole pot turns into something between a risotto and a chowder — thick enough to hold a spoon upright, loose enough to be eaten from a bowl. The seafood version is the coastal one: shrimp, squid and clams dropped in near the end so they stay tender, coconut milk stirred through for sweetness and body, and culantro throughout so the pot smells green even under all that shellfish. The flavour is deep and slightly briny, with a soft coconut roundness and a habanero warmth that arrives late. It is a one-pot dinner that reads as generous no matter how much or how little seafood you actually put in.","Guacho belongs to the wet, hot provinces on either side of the isthmus — Darién on the Pacific side and Colón on the Caribbean — where rice is grown, seafood is cheap and coconut palms are everywhere. The word itself simply describes the texture: soupy, sloppy, deliberately unruly. Panamanians make guacho with almost anything, and each version has its own following. Guacho de rabito uses salted pork tail, guacho de mariscos uses whatever the boat brought in, and guandú makes an appearance in both when pigeon peas are in season.\n\nWhat separates guacho from Spanish arroz caldoso or Italian risotto is that nobody is guarding the grain. The rice is meant to break down. Cooks add liquid freely and stir with intent, and the finished dish is judged on whether it moves as a single mass rather than on whether individual grains are al dente. In Colón, where Afro-Caribbean cooking shaped the local kitchen through generations of West Indian labourers who came to build the railway and later the canal, coconut milk is standard and the pot leans sweet. In Darién the coconut is often lighter or absent, and the herb and chile do more of the work.\n\nSeafood guacho is Sunday food and beach food. It shows up at gatherings where a single pot has to feed a crowd and where the cook wants to make the most of a modest bag of shrimp, and it is the sort of dish that gets carried to the table in the pot it was cooked in. Home cooks who live inland make it with frozen shrimp and canned clams without apology; the technique matters more than the provenance of the shellfish.",[15,16,17,18],"Builds the starchy body from the rice itself rather than thickening with flour or cream.","Seafood is staged so shrimp, squid and clams each finish at the right moment instead of turning rubbery.","Coconut milk goes in late, so it stays sweet and does not cook down into an oily broth.","Works with frozen shellfish, which is how most Panamanian home cooks outside the coast actually make it.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Use a medium- or long-grain white rice and do not rinse it — you want that surface starch to thicken the pot.","Keep the stock hot in a separate pan. Cold liquid stalls the pot and lengthens the cooking by ten minutes.","Stir often but not constantly; scrape the bottom each time so the rice does not catch and scorch.","Squid needs either two minutes or forty. Anything between those turns it into rubber bands, so add it right at the end.","Discard any clams that stay shut after cooking, and any that were already open and did not close when tapped raw.","Finish looser than you think you want. Guacho keeps thickening in the bowl on the way to the table.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Clams","Mussels, or a small can of clams with their juice","Canned clams are common in home kitchens; add them with their liquid in the final two minutes so they only warm through.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Squid","Extra shrimp, or firm white fish in 3 cm cubes","Fish cubes go in with the shrimp and should be nudged rather than stirred so they do not break up into the rice.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Culantro","A generous bunch of cilantro, stems included, added late","Use the stems too — they carry more of the flavour that culantro would have supplied and hold up marginally better in the hot pot.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Guacho de rabito","The inland classic: salted pork tail simmered until soft, with pigeon peas and no seafood. Smokier, saltier, and traditionally the most sought-after version.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Guacho de guandú","Made with fresh pigeon peas and coconut milk, seafood optional. The peas turn the rice a dusty green-brown and add a nutty backbone.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Darién style, no coconut","Pacific-side version built on seafood stock alone, with more culantro and chile. Sharper and brinier, with nothing sweet to round the edges.",[50],"Patacones for scooping, lime wedges, and a bottle of Panamanian chile sauce on the table.","Guacho keeps 2 days refrigerated but the rice absorbs everything and sets solid — expect to add 100–200 ml of stock or water per portion when reheating, and warm it gently in a covered pan while stirring. The seafood will be firmer the second day, which is unavoidable. Do not freeze it: the rice turns grainy and the shrimp go woolly. If you are cooking ahead deliberately, make the rice base without seafood, refrigerate, then loosen it and add fresh shellfish when you reheat.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"What is the difference between guacho and arroz con mariscos?","Arroz con mariscos is a dry rice dish where the grains stay separate, closer to a paella. Guacho is deliberately soupy — extra liquid and frequent stirring release the rice starch until the whole pot thickens into a porridge you eat with a spoon. Same ingredients in many cases, completely different texture and intent.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Can I use frozen seafood for guacho?","Yes, and most home cooks do. Thaw shrimp and squid fully and pat them dry first, otherwise the water they release thins the pot and drops its temperature. Frozen clams and mussels are usually pre-cooked, so add them in the last two minutes purely to heat through.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"Why did my rice turn to mush?","Guacho is supposed to be soft, but total collapse usually means either too much liquid added too fast or a short-grain rice that breaks down quickly. Add stock in stages rather than all at once, and use a medium- or long-grain white rice. If it has already gone too far, stop adding liquid and let it sit off the heat for five minutes to firm up.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"Do I need coconut milk?","Not strictly. The Caribbean side of Panama uses it as standard, while Pacific-side versions from Darién often skip it and rely on seafood stock, culantro and chile. Without coconut the dish is brinier and sharper; with it, rounder and slightly sweet. Both are traditional, so choose the one you would rather eat.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"How thick should guacho be when it is done?","Loose enough to fall off a spoon in a slow ribbon, but thick enough that a trail dragged through the pot closes over in two or three seconds. It thickens noticeably as it cools, so pull it from the heat while it still looks slightly too wet.",[69,70,71],"Heavy wide pot or Dutch oven","Small pan for keeping stock hot","Wooden spoon",4,25,40,"medium",[77],"main",[79,80,81],"pescatarian","dairy-free","gluten-free",[83,84,85,86],"rice","shrimp","squid","coconut-milk",[88,94,99,102,107,111,114,118,122,127,131,135,138,142,145,149,152],{"ref":89,"qty":90,"unit":91,"name":92,"group":93},"olive-oil",3,"tbsp","oil","For the base",{"ref":95,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":98,"group":93},"onion",1,"piece","onion, finely chopped",{"ref":100,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":101,"group":93},"bell-pepper","red bell pepper, finely chopped",{"ref":103,"qty":104,"unit":105,"name":106,"group":93},"garlic",5,"clove","garlic, finely chopped",{"ref":108,"qty":109,"unit":97,"name":110,"group":93},"tomato",2,"ripe tomatoes, chopped",{"ref":112,"qty":96,"unit":91,"name":113,"group":93},"tomato-paste","tomato paste",{"ref":115,"qty":96,"unit":116,"name":117,"group":93},"achiote","tsp","achiote powder",{"ref":83,"qty":119,"unit":120,"name":121,"group":93},350,"g","medium- or long-grain white rice, unrinsed",{"ref":123,"qty":124,"unit":125,"name":126,"group":93},"stock",1300,"ml","hot seafood or chicken stock",{"ref":128,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":129,"optional":130,"group":93},"habanero","ají chombo or habanero, left whole",true,{"ref":84,"qty":132,"unit":120,"name":133,"group":134},300,"raw shrimp, peeled","Seafood",{"ref":85,"qty":136,"unit":120,"name":137,"group":134},250,"squid, in rings",{"ref":139,"qty":140,"unit":120,"name":141,"group":134},"clams",400,"clams, scrubbed",{"ref":86,"qty":136,"unit":125,"name":143,"group":144},"full-fat coconut milk","To finish",{"ref":146,"qty":147,"unit":97,"name":148,"group":144},"culantro",8,"culantro leaves, chopped",{"ref":150,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":151,"group":144},"lime","lime, in wedges",{"qty":153,"unit":154,"name":155,"group":144},null,"to taste","salt and black pepper",[157,161,165,168,173,177],{"title":158,"text":159,"timerSeconds":160},"Start the sofrito","Warm the oil in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper for 7 minutes until soft and glassy with no raw crunch left. Add the garlic and cook one minute, until it smells nutty rather than sharp.",420,{"title":162,"text":163,"timerSeconds":164},"Colour the base","Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and achiote and cook 6 minutes, pressing the tomato apart, until the mixture turns deep orange-red and the oil separates out around the edges of the pan.",360,{"title":166,"text":167},"Toast the rice","Add {qty:rice} of rice and stir for 2 minutes so every grain takes on the colour of the base and turns slightly chalky in the centre. Do not rinse the rice at any point — its surface starch is what thickens the finished pot.",{"title":169,"text":170,"timerSeconds":171,"tip":172},"Cook it soupy","Pour in 1 litre of the hot stock, drop in the whole chile if using, and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the base. Add more stock whenever the surface stops looking wet — the pot should never look like dry rice.",1200,"By minute 15 the grains should be swollen and beginning to fray at the edges. That fraying is the starch you want.",{"title":174,"text":175,"timerSeconds":160,"tip":176},"Add the seafood","Fish out the chile. Nestle in the clams, cover and cook 4 minutes until they open, then stir in the shrimp and squid and cook 3 minutes more, until the shrimp are just opaque and curled into a loose C rather than a tight spiral.","Discard any clams that stayed shut. A tightly curled shrimp is already overcooked.",{"title":178,"text":179},"Finish with coconut and culantro","Pour in the coconut milk, scatter over the chopped culantro and stir once through. Let it bubble for 2 minutes, then taste and correct with salt and black pepper. Serve straight from the pot with lime wedges, while it is still loose enough to pour.",{"calories":181,"protein":182,"carbs":183,"fat":184,"fiber":90,"sugar":185,"sodium":186,"estimated":130},610,38,74,18,6,980,[188,191,193,195],{"src":189,"alt":190},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-guacho-de-mariscos\u002Fhero.jpg","Thick soupy orange rice in a heavy pot with shrimp, squid rings and open clams on top",{"src":192,"alt":190},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-guacho-de-mariscos\u002Fhero-16x9.jpg",{"src":194,"alt":190},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-guacho-de-mariscos\u002Fhero-4x3.jpg",{"src":196,"alt":190},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-guacho-de-mariscos\u002Fhero-1x1.jpg",[198,199,200,201,84,202],"guacho","seafood rice","panamanian","coconut milk","one pot","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":206,"total":214,"page":96,"limit":413,"hasMore":414},[207,231,257,279,305,312,334,352,371,393],{"slug":208,"title":209,"nativeName":210,"countrySlug":8,"region":211,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":212,"cookMinutes":213,"restMinutes":214,"difficulty":75,"course":215,"diet":217,"mainIngredients":221,"images":222,"keywords":226,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-arroz-con-guandu","Arroz con Guandú y Coco (Coconut Rice with Pigeon Peas)","Arroz con guandú y coco","Colón and the Caribbean coast",15,30,10,[77,216],"side",[218,219,80,81,220],"vegetarian","vegan","nut-free",[83,86,146],[223],{"src":224,"alt":225},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-arroz-con-guandu\u002Fhero.jpg","Bowl of pale orange coconut rice studded with green pigeon peas and flecks of chopped herb",[227,228,229,200,230,219],"arroz con guandu","coconut rice","pigeon peas","christmas rice",{"slug":232,"title":233,"nativeName":234,"countrySlug":8,"region":235,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":236,"difficulty":75,"course":237,"diet":241,"mainIngredients":242,"images":246,"keywords":250,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-carimanolas","Carimañolas (Panamanian Stuffed Cassava Fritters)","Carimañolas","Panama City and the Caribbean coast",45,[238,239,240],"street-food","snack","breakfast",[81,80],[243,244,245],"cassava","ground-beef","eggs",[247],{"src":248,"alt":249},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-carimanolas\u002Fhero.jpg","Golden torpedo-shaped cassava fritters, one broken open to show seasoned ground beef filling",[251,252,253,254,255,256],"carimanolas","cassava fritters","yuca","panamanian street food","ground beef","deep fried",{"slug":258,"title":259,"nativeName":260,"countrySlug":8,"region":261,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":262,"restMinutes":236,"difficulty":263,"course":264,"diet":266,"mainIngredients":267,"images":269,"keywords":273,"publishedAt":278,"updatedAt":278,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-ceviche-de-corvina","Ceviche de Corvina (Panamanian Lime-Cured Sea Bass)","Ceviche de corvina","Panama City and the Pacific coast",0,"easy",[265,238],"appetizer",[79,81,80],[268,150,95,146],"sea-bass",[270],{"src":271,"alt":272},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-ceviche-de-corvina\u002Fhero.jpg","Cubes of white fish cured in lime with sliced onion, celery and chopped culantro in a cup with crackers",[274,275,200,276,146,277],"ceviche","corvina","lime cured fish","no cook","2026-08-21",{"slug":280,"title":281,"nativeName":282,"countrySlug":8,"region":283,"baseServings":185,"prepMinutes":212,"cookMinutes":284,"restMinutes":285,"difficulty":263,"course":286,"diet":288,"mainIngredients":289,"images":294,"keywords":298,"publishedAt":278,"updatedAt":278,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-chicheme","Chicheme (Panamanian Cracked Corn and Milk Drink)","Chicheme chorrerano","La Chorrera, Panamá Oeste",75,180,[287,239],"drink",[218,81],[290,291,292,293],"corn","milk","condensed-milk","cinnamon",[295],{"src":296,"alt":297},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-chicheme\u002Fhero.jpg","A tall cup of thick cold corn and milk drink with visible white kernels and grated nutmeg on top",[299,300,301,302,303,304],"chicheme","panamanian drink","corn drink","la chorrera","condensed milk","cold drink",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":306,"diet":307,"mainIngredients":308,"images":309,"keywords":311,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},[77],[79,80,81],[83,84,85,86],[310],{"src":189,"alt":190},[198,199,200,201,84,202],{"slug":313,"title":314,"nativeName":315,"countrySlug":8,"region":316,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":317,"cookMinutes":317,"restMinutes":74,"difficulty":263,"course":318,"diet":320,"mainIngredients":321,"images":324,"keywords":328,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-hojaldras","Hojaldras (Panamanian Fried Breakfast Dough)","Hojaldras","Nationwide",20,[240,319,238],"bread",[218,220],[322,323,291],"flour","yeast",[325],{"src":326,"alt":327},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-hojaldras\u002Fhero.jpg","Puffed golden rounds of fried dough piled on a plate beside slices of white cheese",[329,330,331,332,333,218],"hojaldras","fried dough","panamanian breakfast","fry bread","queso blanco",{"slug":335,"title":336,"nativeName":337,"countrySlug":8,"region":316,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":212,"cookMinutes":73,"difficulty":263,"course":338,"diet":339,"mainIngredients":340,"images":342,"keywords":346,"publishedAt":278,"updatedAt":278,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-patacones","Patacones Panameños (Twice-Fried Green Plantains)","Patacones",[216,239,238],[218,219,81,80],[341,103],"plantain",[343],{"src":344,"alt":345},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-patacones\u002Fhero.jpg","Golden flattened discs of twice-fried green plantain with crisp ragged edges piled on a plate with lime",[347,348,349,200,350,351],"patacones","tostones","green plantain","fried plantain","side dish",{"slug":353,"title":354,"nativeName":355,"countrySlug":8,"region":356,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":317,"cookMinutes":357,"difficulty":263,"course":358,"diet":359,"mainIngredients":360,"images":362,"keywords":366,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-ropa-vieja","Ropa Vieja Panameña (Shredded Beef in Criollo Sauce)","Ropa vieja panameña","Panama City and the interior",120,[77],[80,81],[361,108,100,146],"beef-chuck",[363],{"src":364,"alt":365},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-ropa-vieja\u002Fhero.jpg","Mound of shredded beef in red tomato sauce with pepper strips, spooned over white rice",[367,368,200,369,146,370],"ropa vieja","shredded beef","criollo sauce","latin american stew",{"slug":372,"title":373,"nativeName":374,"countrySlug":8,"region":375,"baseServings":185,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":376,"difficulty":75,"course":377,"diet":379,"mainIngredients":380,"images":383,"keywords":387,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-sancocho","Sancocho de Gallina (Hen and Yam Soup with Culantro)","Sancocho de gallina panameño","Azuero Peninsula",150,[378,77],"soup",[80,81,220],[381,382,146,95],"chicken","yam",[384],{"src":385,"alt":386},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-sancocho\u002Fhero.jpg","Deep bowl of cloudy chicken broth with a bone-in hen piece, white yam chunks and chopped green herb",[388,389,390,391,146,392],"sancocho","panamanian soup","hen soup","name yam","hangover cure",{"slug":394,"title":395,"nativeName":396,"countrySlug":8,"region":397,"baseServings":185,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":284,"restMinutes":317,"difficulty":398,"course":399,"diet":400,"mainIngredients":401,"images":404,"keywords":408,"publishedAt":203,"updatedAt":203,"authorSlug":204},"panamanian-tamal-de-olla","Tamal de Olla (Panamanian Baked Corn Masa Casserole)","Tamal de olla","Panama City and Los Santos","hard",[77],[81,80],[402,381,403,115],"masa-harina","olives",[405],{"src":406,"alt":407},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpanamanian-tamal-de-olla\u002Fhero.jpg","Baked orange corn masa casserole cut open to show a layer of shredded chicken with olives and raisins",[409,410,411,115,381,412],"tamal de olla","panamanian tamal","masa casserole","christmas food",24,false,1787360068557]