Crni Rižot

Crni Rižot (Croatian Black Risotto)

A signature dish of the Dalmatian coast, Crni Rižot is a deeply savoury risotto made with cuttlefish or squid and stained jet-black with their own ink. Slow-cooked with white wine, garlic, and a touch of tomato, it has a creamy texture and an unmistakable taste of the Adriatic.

Prep

20 min

Cook

45 min

Total

65 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh cuttlefish or squid, cleaned, bodies and tentacles reserved; hood cartilage removed
• •2 to 4 g (1 to 2 sachets) cuttlefish or squid ink, extracted from the sacs when cleaning, or use packaged ink
• •300 g (1½ cups) Arborio or short-grain risotto rice, Carnaroli or a local short-grain rice works equally well
• •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, extra-virgin, plus a little more to finish
• •1 whole (1 medium) onion, finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• •125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine, such as Pošip, Malvazija, or any crisp dry white
• •1 tbsp tomato paste, or 2 tbsp grated ripe tomato
• •1 L (4 cups) fish or seafood stock, hot; clam or shrimp stock is even better if available
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, diced
• •20 g (¼ cup grated) Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional but traditional in some households; can be omitted for a stricter Adriatic version
• •1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to finish
• •1 pinch salt, to taste
• •1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Clean the cuttlefish or squid: separate the tentacles, pull out the clear quill (if using squid), and carefully remove the two ink sacs from inside the body cavity. Set the ink aside in a small bowl. Peel any purple skin off the bodies if you prefer a milder flavour and rinse the bodies and tentacles well. Pat dry and slice the bodies into rings about 1 cm (½ in) wide.
2. 2 Warm the stock in a saucepan and keep it at a gentle simmer next to the risotto pan.
3. 3 Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4 Increase the heat to medium-high, add the cuttlefish or squid pieces and tentacles, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn opaque and release their liquid.
5. 5 Add the white wine and let it bubble and reduce by about half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to take off the raw edge.
6. 6 Add the rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes so each grain is coated and glistening, then pour in about 200 ml (¾ cup) of the hot stock. Stir occasionally and let the liquid absorb before adding more.
7. 7 Continue cooking the rice, adding hot stock a ladle at a time (roughly 100 to 125 ml / about ½ cup per addition) and stirring every minute or so. Keep the rice at a gentle, steady simmer — not a hard boil. Do not rush this step; expect 16 to 20 minutes total.
8. 8 After about 10 minutes of cooking the rice, stir the cuttlefish or squid ink into the pan together with a small ladle of stock so it disperses evenly. The risotto will turn deep black. Continue adding stock and cooking until the rice is al dente: tender but still with a slight bite in the centre, and the consistency is loose and creamy, like a thick porridge — it should flow slowly when you tilt the pan. If you run out of stock, finish with hot water.
9. 9 Doneness check: the cuttlefish or squid should be tender, not rubbery — typically 20 to 30 minutes of gentle simmering total. If using small squid (under 10 cm / 4 in), they may cook in 15 to 20 minutes; larger cuttlefish can take up to 40 minutes to become tender. A knife should slide in with little resistance, and an internal temperature of at least 63 °C / 145 °F is recommended for cephalopods.
10. 10 Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cold diced butter (and the grated Parmigiano, if using) and beat vigorously for about 30 seconds — this is the mantecatura that gives the risotto its creamy, glossy finish. Cover and rest for 2 minutes.
11. 11 Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Loosen with a final splash of hot stock if the risotto has thickened too much while resting.
12. 12 Divide among warm plates, drizzle with a little olive oil, scatter the chopped parsley over the top, and serve immediately. Crni Rižot is traditionally a first course or a light main with a glass of the same dry white wine used in cooking.