Black risotto is a Croatian seafood rice dish made with cuttlefish and squid ink. Arborio rice is recommended, and dry wine, fish broth, onions, garlic, and parsley are added. The ink sacs must be removed with care and added towards the end of cooking.
A Croatian dish, black risotto is a type of seafood rice dish made with cuttlefish and sometimes squid. Popular in the Dalmatian islands, this risotto is tinged black by breaking the ink sacs of the cuttlefish onto the rice towards the end of the cooking process. Black risotto can be prepared at home, but constant attention must be paid to the rice throughout the cooking process, and ink sacs must be removed from cuttlefish with extreme care.
In addition to seafood, rice is an essential ingredient in black risotto. Unlike most rice, which is simply placed in a pot with water and allowed to simmer until the water is absorbed, risottos cook the rice by frying the grains with other ingredients and adding the water gradually. While you can technically use any type of rice, arborio rice is recommended for the best results.
Dry wine, red or white, is usually included in this risotto, and red wine vinegar can be combined with the wine. Fish broth or water is also added. Onions, garlic and parsley are also frequent ingredients. Vegetables, such as tomatoes or carrots, appear in some versions.
To prepare the black risotto, clean the cuttlefish and remove the innards. The little beak also needs to be squeezed out. Most importantly, however, the ink pouch must be pulled out and held. After that, the cuttlefish can be cut or cut into small pieces. If squid is also used, it is prepared in the same way.
The ink sacs can be prepared before cooking the risotto. Both cuttlefish and squid ink sacs can be broken into a bowl. Then water is added to the ink to form a paste. If the ink is added directly to the risotto during cooking, there is no need to add water first.
Once the fish and ink pockets are prepared, the onions are fried in olive oil. Seafood is added next, then garlic and parsley. The wine and vinegar, if used, are poured into the pan immediately before the rice is added. The dish is stirred frequently as the rice soaks up the wine. Once absorbed, fish stock or water is added in small portions until all of the water is absorbed.
Towards the end of the cooking process, the ink sacs are broken into the pan or the paste is added. The risotto should be creamy at this point and once the ink is mixed in, the rice should be uniformly black. The finished dish is usually garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.
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