Black Risotto with Calamari Recipe

Preparation: Clean the cuttlefish or squid by removing eyes, beak and transparent quill. Remove and reserve ink sac. Place cuttlefish or squid in a bowl of cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Peel off as much skin as possible, cut the into strips and wash in plenty of cold water. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the cuttlefish or squid and cook over moderate heat until golden, stirring from time to time. Add salt and pepper reduce heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the rice and stir briefly over high heat to blend flavors. Pour in several ladlefuls of boiling broth, the ink from the ink sac , and then little by little the rest of the boiling broth. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the butter and parsley, remove from heat and let rice rest for a couple of minutes, covered. Stir once more and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings Source: Italy Today the Beautiful Cookbook by Lorenza de Medici Stucchi (HarperCollins) Reprinted with permission.