Risotto Nero With Squid Food

RISOTTO NERO WITH SQUID

Steps:

• Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half the diced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and barely colored, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add garlic, saffron and red pepper and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add squid bodies and tentacles, stir well to coat and season with salt. Add tomato, bay leaf and 1/4 cup white wine. Add 1 cup water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in squid ink. Simmer for 10 minutes more, until squid is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining onion, season with salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice, stir to coat, and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Keeping heat brisk, add remaining 1/4 cup wine and 2 cups of the broth and simmer, stirring, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the last cup of broth and all of the squid mixture. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes more, until rice is just done. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Add a little more broth, as necessary, to keep rice moist and loose, but not too soupy. Stir in lemon zest and parsley, then spoon into warm shallow soup bowls. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.

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).