Risotto Nero Squid Ink Risotto A Venetian Food

SQUID INK RISOTTO

Steps:

• Coat a large saucepan generously with olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook, letting the rice slightly stick to the bottom of the pan and scraping it off, until it sounds crackly, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the wine to the pan until it covers the surface of the rice. Season with salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until the wine has absorbed into the rice. Add the chicken stock to the pan until it covers the rice, about 4 minutes. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until the stock has absorbed into the rice, about 6 minutes.
• Repeat this process two more times with the hot chicken stock. When the third addition of the stock has absorbed and the rice is very creamy, bite a couple grains of rice to test how it is cooked. Add the squid ink and mix to incorporate. If the rice is still a little crunchy, add a little more stock and cook the rice for another couple of minutes. Add the calamari and allow to cook until tender and the rice is creamy but still flows and holds its own shape, 5 to 7 minutes. When the rice is cooked perfectly, remove it from the heat.
• Toss in the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano and fold to combine. Garnish with chives or micro bull's blood if using, and a big glug of good extra-virgin olive oil.

RISOTTO NERO (SQUID INK RISOTTO, A VENETIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Go straight to step 4 if your squid has already been cleaned.
• Pull out the head and tentacles.
• Very gently, pull away the long, thin, silvery ink sac,being careful not to pierce it with your nail.
• Discard the yellow part by pulling it off gently. Set aside in a ceramic bowl. If it leaks, the ink will stain plastic, so glass and ceramic bowls are best.
• Squeeze the base of the tentacles to get rid of the mouth and beak.
• Cut the 2 long tentacles, then chop into bite-sized lengths.
• Pull out the translucent quill from the body and discard.
• Pull away the pinky skin and discard.
• Slice into rings, and rinse everything well.
• Place the ink sacs in a metal sieve over a bowl, and with the back of a spoon, squash down to release the ink.
• Pour over 2-3 tablespoons of your stock to "rinse" the sacs and leave to drain for a few minutes while you get on with other prep work.
• Place your stock, or water plus stockpots on high heat. Once it's boiling, lower the heat down and leave it to simmer happily.
• While waiting for the stock, chop the onion and garlic up finely, for the rice and the squid. Set the garlic for the squid aside.
• Heat the olive oil for the rice on low heat and sauté the onion for 2 minutes, stirring.
• Add the garlic, and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the rice and coat with all that fat, stirring well. Toast the rice for 3 more minutes, until the edges turn translucent.
• Increase the heat to medium and pour in the wine. Stir well and leave to evaporate, stirring a little. Skip this step, if you don't do alcohol.
• Stir in the ink, coating the rice well, for about half a minute.
• Add 1 cup of the simmering stock and stir gently. You can take a break, it doesn't need to be round and round stirring constantly, just regular stirring while the stock evaporates.
• When the stock has evaporated, add half a cup more of the stock, stir, and repeat this process for 13 minutes. Yes, watch the clock or put your kitchen timer on.
• Check the rice at the 13-minute mark. It should be just about done, depending on your rice, and the heat. Is it cooked - soft on the outside with just a bite in the middle? Is the risotto looking creamy, like a thick version of (black) rice pudding? If it is, it's done. If it's not, add 1/4 cup stock, and stir. When that stock has been absorbed, check again. You shouldn't really need to cook more than 15-17 minutes. The time depends on your rice and what your idea of medium heat is!
• Then check the seasoning - does it need salt? Add some if you think it does, and stir it in.
• Finally, the mantecatura. I'm only using olive oil. Drizzle oil all over and stir quickly and vigorously to create a creamy texture.
• Take off the heat, cover and leave to rest for 2 minutes, then serve up with the parsley and squid, in individual plates.
• With about 5 minutes to go before the end of the risotto cooking, we'll get the squid going. You can just do this when the risotto has had 10 minutes, or if you don't like multitasking, do it when the risotto is resting.
• Heat the rest of the olive oil on medium-high heat and cook the garlic for 10 seconds.
• Tip in the rinsed and cut squid, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Increase the heat to high, keep stirring or tossing the squid to cook and char slightly. You'll only need to cook for about 3 minutes and the squid will be done. Take off the heat and serve on top of the individual risotto dishes, sprinkled with the chopped parsley and chilli flakes (if using).