Squid ink risotto with chargrilled marinated squid
Ingredients
For the risotto
- 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
- 50g/2oz butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 250g/9oz arborio rice (or other ristotto rice)
- 125ml/4½fl oz dry white wine
- 2 sachets squid ink (available from some fishmongers)
- 250g/9oz squid
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinated squid
Method
For the risotto, place the chicken stock into a pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, heat another pan until hot and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for a few minutes until softened, but not coloured.
Add the rice to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is translucent and coated with the oil.
Add the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add the squid ink and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon to disperse the ink throughout the rice.
Pour in the hot stock, a ladle at a time, and keep stirring until each ladleful is absorbed. Keep adding the stock, stirring as often as possible until the rice is tender, but still with a slight resistance to the bite - this should take about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, clean the squid. Pull the tentacles away from the squid's body. Remove the quill from inside the body and discard. Clean the body by running it under a tap or cleaning it in a bowl of water. Remove the 'ears' from either side of the squid body and remove the skin with your fingers. Cut the tentacles just below the eyes, being sure not to cut the ink sac. Be sure to remove the 'beak' at the base of the tentacles. Cut the body of the squid into rings.
When the rice is just ready, add the squid and rings and stir through. Remove from the heat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the marinated squid, preheat a griddle pan until hot.
Remove the tentacles and slice the body of the squid in half lengthways. With a sharp knife, score the inside of the squid in a diagonal pattern. Place the scored side down onto the griddle pan, along with the tentacles.
Griddle for 1-2 minutes or until coloured on all sides and just cooked through.
Remove the squid from the heat and place into a bowl. Add the lemon zest, parsley, chilli flakes and olive oil. Mix together and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, spoon the risotto into the centre of each of individual plate and top with a pile of marinated squid and a drizzle of the marinating liquid.