Squid Ink Risotto with Cuttlefish

Riccardo Momesso

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

200g cuttlefish
2 shallots, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2½ tablespoons olive oil
500g arborio rice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons squid ink (available from good Italian grocers)
150 ml white wine (riesling if possible)
1 tablespoon chopped
flat-leaf parsley
20g butter
½ cup grated parmesan

Method

Clean all the cuttlefish, opening them up and washing them. Slice them lengthways about 2 mm thick, wash them well again in cold water, then dry on paper towel and set aside.

In a heavy-based pot, add the shallots, garlic, bay leaf, dried chilli and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cook over low heat until the shallots are translucent, add the arborio rice and season with salt and pepper. Cook the risotto until the grains are hot, then add the squid ink and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with the wine and reduce until it has evaporated. Add 1.25 litres of water and bring to the boil, then simmer the risotto with a lid on.

In the meantime, add the remaining oil to a frying pan and place over high heat. Season the cuttlefish and cook for 2 minutes. The cuttlefish should start to caramelise. At this point, add the parsley and some pepper, and set aside.
Once the risotto has absorbed all of the water, add the butter and parmesan, and let it sit with a lid on for 2 minutes. Then mix vigorously until the risotto is nice and fluffy. Plate up the risotto and spoon the cuttlefish on top. Eat immediately.