RisottoMediterraneanMedium

Spanish-Style Squid Ink Risotto (Arroz Negro-Style Risotto)

Name: Spanish-Style Squid Ink Risotto (Arroz Negro-Style Risotto)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 5 cups (1200 ml) low-sodium fish or seafood stock, kept at a gentle simmer; 1 lb (450 g) cleaned squid (bodies and tentacles), bodies sliced into ½-inch (1 cm) rings, tentacles halved if large, all patted very dry; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm); 1 small (120 g) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm); 4 cloves (16 g) garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 medium (150 g) ripe tomato, halved and coarsely grated on a box grater, skin discarded; 1 teaspoon (3 g) smoked sweet paprika (pimentón dulce); 1½ cups (300 g) arborio rice, do not rinse; ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, such as Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc; 4 teaspoons (20 g) squid ink, about 4 (4 g) sachets, or 4 teaspoons from a jar; fine sea salt, to taste, about ½ teaspoon (3 g) to start; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; 2 tablespoons (28 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; ⅓ cup (75 g) mayonnaise; 1 clove (4 g) small garlic clove, grated to a paste; 1 medium (100 g) lemon, zest finely grated, then juiced (about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml juice); cut any extra into wedges for serving; 2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy arborio rice stirred with a smoky pimentón sofrito, tender sautéed squid and briny black squid ink, finished with a garlicky lemon alioli swirl. It's a risotto with the soul of Spanish arroz negro.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 2 min
Total: 57 min
Makes: 4 main-course servings (about 1½ cups / 350 g each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

5 cups (1200 ml) low-sodium fish or seafood stock, kept at a gentle simmer
1 lb (450 g) cleaned squid (bodies and tentacles), bodies sliced into ½-inch (1 cm) rings, tentacles halved if large, all patted very dry
4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm)
1 small (120 g) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm)
4 cloves (16 g) garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium (150 g) ripe tomato, halved and coarsely grated on a box grater, skin discarded
1 teaspoon (3 g) smoked sweet paprika (pimentón dulce)
1½ cups (300 g) arborio rice, do not rinse
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, such as Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc
4 teaspoons (20 g) squid ink, about 4 (4 g) sachets, or 4 teaspoons from a jar
fine sea salt, to taste, about ½ teaspoon (3 g) to start
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
2 tablespoons (28 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
For the lemon alioli
⅓ cup (75 g) mayonnaise
1 clove (4 g) small garlic clove, grated to a paste
1 medium (100 g) lemon, zest finely grated, then juiced (about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml juice); cut any extra into wedges for serving
2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Equipment (6)

Large heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven, 11–12 inch (28–30 cm)
Medium saucepan, 3 quart (3 L), for the stock
Wooden spoon
Small bowl for the alioli
Sharp knife and cutting board
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Clean the squid (or buy it already cleaned) and pat it very dry; wet squid steams and turns rubbery instead of searing.
Keep the stock at a bare simmer in a separate pot the whole time. Cold stock stalls the rice and makes it gummy.
Squid ink stains hands, countertops and clothing: wear an apron and rinse spills right away.
Have everything chopped before you start; once the rice goes in you need to stir almost constantly.

1
Make the alioli
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, grated garlic paste, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the lemon juice.
- Season with a pinch of salt.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Save the remaining lemon juice for step 8.
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Ready when: Smooth, pale and evenly speckled with zest.
2
Heat the stock
- Pour the fish stock into the saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce to low and keep it hot, with the ladle nearby.
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Ready when: Small bubbles at the edges, gently steaming.
Tip: If the stock is unsalted, taste it; the rice will concentrate its saltiness.
3
Sear the squid
- Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the olive oil in the large pan over high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the squid in a single layer (work in two batches if crowded).
- Cook for 1½–2 minutes, stirring once or twice, until opaque and lightly golden at the edges.
- Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate.
- Leave any juices in the pan.
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Ready when: Squid is opaque white with golden spots and still tender, not tight or curled into hard rings.
Tip: Squid is tender if cooked either very briefly now or for a long time. It will finish warming in the rice at the end, so don't cook it longer here.
4
Build the sofrito
- Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil.
- Add the onion and red pepper with a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 6–7 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
- Stir in the garlic and paprika for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomato.
- Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until the tomato has darkened and thickened into a jammy paste.
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Ready when: Vegetables are soft and the mixture leaves a trail when you drag a spoon across the pan bottom.
Tip: Paprika turns bitter if scorched, so keep it moving and add the tomato right after.
5
Toast the rice
- Add the arborio rice and stir for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in the sofrito and the edges turn translucent with a chalky white center.
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Ready when: Grains look glossy with translucent rims and smell nutty.
6
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the white wine and stir until it has almost completely absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has faded, about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Pan bottom is nearly dry when you drag the spoon through the rice.
7
Add stock and ink
- Whisk the squid ink into 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot stock in a measuring cup until fully dissolved and uniformly black.
- Pour it into the rice and stir.
- Cook at a lively simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Then add the remaining stock 1 ladleful (about ¾ cup / 180 ml) at a time, waiting until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
- Continue for 18–20 minutes total.
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Ready when: Rice is creamy and flows slowly like lava when the pan is tilted. Taste a grain: it should be tender with a slight firmness at the very center (al dente).
Tip: You may not need all the stock. If the rice is still hard, add hot water by the ladleful.
8
Fold in the squid
- Stir the seared squid and any plate juices into the risotto.
- Cook 1 minute to rewarm.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, then stir vigorously for 30 seconds to make it glossy.
- Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
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Ready when: Risotto is glossy and loose, with squid evenly distributed.
Tip: Add a splash of hot stock if it looks tight; risotto thickens as it sits.
9
Rest and serve
- Cover the pan and let the risotto rest for 2 minutes.
- Spoon into warm shallow bowls, top each with a dollop of the lemon alioli and a sprinkle of parsley.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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Ready when: Risotto spreads gently across the bowl rather than holding a mound.
Tip: Serve right away; risotto tightens and gets stodgy as it cools.

Good to know

Tips

Use arborio, carnaroli or Spanish bomba rice. Don't rinse it, since the surface starch makes the risotto creamy.
Squid ink is salty; season the dish only at the end after tasting.
Dissolving the ink in hot stock first prevents gray streaks and ensures an even jet-black color.
Black teeth are part of the experience. Serve with plenty of napkins and a crisp white wine.

Make ahead

"The alioli can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. The sofrito (through step 4) can be made up to 2 days ahead; reheat it in the pan before adding the rice. Risotto itself is best made fresh."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour. Refrigerator: cool quickly and store airtight up to 2 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the rice turns grainy and the squid toughens. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of stock or water, stirring until hot and creamy; keep the squid just warmed through."

Substitutions

low-sodium fish or seafood stock → light chicken stock or vegetable stock. Flavor will be less briny; add an extra pinch of salt at the end.
dry white wine → dry sherry (fino) or additional stock plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Fino adds a nutty Spanish note; use the same volume.
cleaned squid (bodies and tentacles) → peeled shrimp or cuttlefish. Cook shrimp only 1 minute per side; cuttlefish needs about the same quick sear.
mayonnaise → traditional garlic alioli. Use ⅓ cup (75 g) and skip the extra garlic if it is already garlicky.

dinner gluten-free mediterranean risotto seafood spanish squid ink stovetop

Steps

Make the alioli

Heat the stock

Sear the squid

Build the sofrito

Toast the rice

Deglaze with wine

Add stock and ink

Fold in the squid

Rest and serve

Good to know

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