Risotto al Nero di Seppia – Venetian Black Ink Risotto

Ingredients

• 320 g Carnaroli rice
• 500 g fresh cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into strips, ink sacs reserved
• 4 g cuttlefish ink (from sacs or sachets)
• 150 ml dry white wine (e.g. Pinot Grigio or Soave)
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1.2 litres hot fish stock (brodetto di pesce)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (to finish)

Method

1. Warm the fish stock in a saucepan over low heat and keep it at a gentle simmer throughout cooking.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sweat gently for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute without browning.
3. Add the cuttlefish strips to the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until lightly coloured and fragrant.
4. Add the Carnaroli rice and toast it directly in the pan for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains look slightly translucent at the edges.
5. Pour in the white wine and stir vigorously until fully absorbed by the rice.
6. Dilute the cuttlefish ink in a ladleful of hot stock, then add it to the pan. Stir well — the rice will turn dramatically black. Begin adding the remaining hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 16–18 minutes until the rice is al dente.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Adjust salt and pepper. Stir through the chopped parsley. Do not add butter or Parmesan — this is a traditional seafood risotto and neither belongs here.
8. Allow the risotto to rest for 1 minute, then serve immediately in warm shallow bowls, spreading it gently into a thin layer. Drizzle with a thread of raw extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Tips from the kitchen

Frequently asked questions