posted by Maree 08-01-98 5:58 AM
adapted from Armando Percuoco's (with David Dale) "The Secrets of Pulcinella: Italian Cooking in Australia", 1986, Horan Wall and Walker, Surry Hills, NSW. ISBN: 0 9590027 5 8.
Risotto Nero (Rice with Cuttlefish Ink)
500 g. (1 lb.) medium size cuttlefish
120 mls. (4 fluid oz.) vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
3 peperoncini (small red chillies / chiles)- optional
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup Neopolitan (or pasta) sauce
2 cups (preferably) Arborio (risotto) rice
A generous knob of butter
Parsley to garnish
Prepare the cuttlefish, reserving ink sacs. Wash cuttlefish carefully and thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and fry the whole garlic cloves until golden (~2 minutes), then toss in the cuttlefish pieces and fry. If you like 'spice'/ 'heat' in your life, add the chillies/
chiles now.
After 5 minutes, add the wine. Put lid on and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat, adding a little water every now and again. Break ink sacs into the mixture, and then add the Neopolitan (or pasta sauce).
Put the lid back on and cook for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook rice. Put into a large frying pan / skillet with the knob of butter and mix it around. Pour the sauce from the casserole over the rice, reserving most of the cuttlefish pieces to serve separately. Stir the sauce into the
rice. Serve with freshly ground pepper and sprinkled with fresh parsley.