Black Risotto (Risotto Negro)

Method

• 1)

  Start by blanching your cuttlefish for a few minutes. I find this step crucial as blanching causes the fish to lose all the excess liquid that would later on leak out into the base of your pot, making it cook rather than saute.

• 2)

  Strain your cuttlefish, pat dry and place on a cutting board then cut into small chunks.

• 3)

  Now pour enough olive oil into your pot and throw in your diced onions, diced cuttlefish, minced garlic, chopped parsley, vinegar and pepper.

• 4)

  Turn the heat to medium high and saute well. Remember a well sauteed base is the key to a great cooked meal so don’t be afraid your mirepoix might burn off, just give it a good frequent stir and scrape the bottom of your pot often so the onions infuse as much flavour as possible. You want your onions to be beautifully golden brown and delightfully tender, as any ripe onion once bitten will ruin your apetite.

• 5)

  Now pour in your wine, along with your tomato paste mixed in a bit of luke warm water so it blends well and season with salt (be careful not to put much salt in as the cuttlefish ink we will later add is very salty).

• 6)

  With the heat still on medium high, reduce the volume of the liquid by about 1/3, then add your fish and chicken stock, chopped parsley, bring to a boil and gently simmer for about an hour.

• 7)

  When the flavor is concentrated as desired and the fish is beautifully tender add your ink and stir well as it takes time to dissolve, so don’t add too much at once thinking it’s not darkening well.

• 8)

  Now set the pot aside. Take a wide shallow pot, put on medium high heat and pour enough olive oil to cover the base. Toss in your rice and saute for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the grain start becoming translucent. (this helps for securing the rice of overcooking as the rice gets a shell around the grain.). Now pour in about 1 dcl of wine and evaporate.

• 9)

  Once the wine has evaporated pour in your cooked stew. Stir the rice and the stew well and start pouring in your stock (pre heated, so it doesn’t slow the rice cooking) a little at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid. The reason you don’t pour it all at the same time is because you don’t know how much liquid the rice will absorb.

• 10)

  Stir the risotto well frequently with a large surface spatula, because the more motion the rice makes the more starch it releases, which is the key to making your risotto creamy.

• 11)

  When the rice is cooked al-dente  it should still have a slightly “runny to watery” texture, we don’t want it thick.

• 12)

  Now add the butter, preferably room temperature so it blends more quickly

• 13)

  Once you add the butter now is the time to really work your hand, and give the rice a good beating, stirring it vigorously until all the butter has blended with the dish.

  (Now if I was making this for myself, I would toast the rice and finish the risotto in a pan, tossing the pan instead of stirring the rice, that way I would finish it with olive oil instead of butter, tossing the pan vigorously to create an emulsion, thus making the risotto creamy, as per tradition, seafood risottos are not finished with butter.)

• 14)

  After the butter has blended add the parmagiano and beat again, this time not as vigorously until the cheese has melted.

• 15)

  Let the risotto “come together” for a few minutes before serving. I like to garnish it with a bit chopped parsley as it gives it that rich freshness with each bite.