Ingredients
Cuttlefish
- 1 kgfresh cuttlefish or squid, cleaned, ink sacs reserved intact
- 4–6sachets of squid ink (about 8 g), if the sacs are too small
- 5 tbspDalmatian extra virgin olive oil
Risotto
- 320 grisotto rice (arborio, vialone nano or carnaroli)
- 1onion, very finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 150 mldry white wine, preferably Pošip or Graševina
- 1.2 litreslight fish stock, kept at a simmer
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
To finish
- 30 gbutter or 2 tbsp olive oil
- Lemon wedges
- Grated hard cheese, only if you are inland and nobody is watching
Directions
- Clean the cuttlefish carefully, easing out the ink sacs whole and setting them in a cup with a splash of water; a burst sac in the wrong place is a lost dish and a stained kitchen.
- Cut the bodies into 1 cm strips and the tentacles into short lengths.
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide heavy pan and cook the cuttlefish over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until it releases its water, then keep cooking until the liquid evaporates and the pieces start to stick and colour, about 8 minutes more.
- Lower the heat, add the onion and garlic with the rest of the oil and sweat for 6–8 minutes until soft and sweet; do not brown the garlic or it turns acrid against the ink.
- Stir in the tomato paste, cook 1 minute, then add the rice and toast it, stirring, for 2 minutes until the grains are hot and translucent at the edges.
- Pour in the wine and let it evaporate completely, scraping the base, until the alcohol smell is gone.
- Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and only adding more once the previous ladle has been absorbed; keep it at a lazy simmer for about 16–18 minutes.
- Squeeze the ink from the sacs into a little warm stock, mash and strain out the membranes, then stir the ink in at the halfway point so the whole pan turns glossy black.
- Test the rice: it should be creamy and loose enough to spread slowly on a tilted plate (all’onda), with the grains still firm at the centre. Beat in the butter or a last spill of olive oil off the heat, add most of the parsley and season.
- Rest 2 minutes, then serve immediately with the remaining parsley, a lemon wedge and a warning about black teeth.
Technique
- Crni rižot is a Dalmatian dish, made along the coast from Istria to Dubrovnik, and traditionally contains no cheese; the coastal rule is no cheese with seafood, though some inland cooks add a little.
- Cuttlefish needs either 3 minutes or 30. The initial hard cook past its watery stage is what gives the deep, almost meaty flavour and keeps it from being rubbery.
- The ink is seasoning as much as colour: it is salty and iodine-rich, so hold back on salt until after it goes in.
- Fresh ink from the sacs tastes cleaner and less bitter than sachet ink, but sachets are consistent and perfectly acceptable.
Substitutions
- Squid works in place of cuttlefish and cooks faster; reduce the initial cooking to 6–8 minutes total.
- If you cannot get ink at all, the dish becomes a bijeli rižot, a white cuttlefish risotto, which is a legitimate Dalmatian dish in its own right.
Variations
- Some Istrian cooks add a spoonful of grated hard sheep’s cheese and a scrape of lemon zest at the end.
- In Dubrovnik it is often made looser, closer to a wet rice, and served with a spoon.
History
Crni rižot, coloured with cuttlefish ink, a Dalmatian coastal dish reflecting Venetian rice cooking on the eastern Adriatic.
Frequently asked questions
What is Black risotto?
Black risotto is a main from Croatia: cuttlefish risotto dyed with its ink, coastal favorite. Crni rižot, coloured with cuttlefish ink, a Dalmatian coastal dish reflecting Venetian rice cooking on the eastern Adriatic.
How long does Black risotto take to make?
Black risotto takes 30 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Black risotto?
Yes, within limits. Squid works in place of cuttlefish and cooks faster; reduce the initial cooking to 6–8 minutes total. If you cannot get ink at all, the dish becomes a bijeli rižot, a white cuttlefish risotto, which is a legitimate Dalmatian dish in its own right.
What is the most important thing to get right in Black risotto?
Lower the heat, add the onion and garlic with the rest of the oil and sweat for 6–8 minutes until soft and sweet; do not brown the garlic or it turns acrid against the ink.
