C is for Crni Rizot

Now this is a dish that you will find up and down the adriatic coast particularly in Croatia to various degrees of sucess, i have had some that were a bit heavy on the salt but others so smooth and silky the black ink giving you that mouth feel like nothing else, this dish originates from Venice a legacy of the 400 or so years of Venetian rule and h.as been in my opinion refined and improved over those years. The photo attached is from our wedding banquet in the old walled city of Zadar showing the black rizot and a tomato paprika spiced version on the left, also note my cousin Sabina's Marlborough lights, trust me nobody asks permission to light up they just go right ahead ( I swear i almost took up smoking ). This recipe will feed a fair few so i would suggest have a few people over.

1KG Cuttlefish ( I have found that the vietnamese fishmongers of Abbotsford and Springvale  have it quite often.

200g School prawns ( or the smallest prawns you can buy )
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley ( Not the curly kind, ...do people still use that ? )
3 tbsp passata ( pasta sauce )
3 cups of arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup of sherry ( here in oz I would suggest getting your hands on a half bottle of Manzanilla )
2 or 3 sprigs of thyme
1.5 ltr of fish stock

salt and pepper


Rinse the cuttle fish in cold water, removing the innards and bone being careful to not rupture the ink sack which you will put aside.
Separate legs and cut up main part into 1.5cm by 1.5 cm approx pieces.
Gently heat olive oil in heavy based pot.
Add tentacles and pieces fry for approx 10min on a medium flame add chopped garlic,parsley, passata,pepper to taste. for another 2 min
Add white wine, sherry and 2 cups of the fish stock cooking it until the cuttle fish has a bit of bite to it but not too much ( sort of al dente )
Add rice and  more stock,salt to taste, thyme and a sack of the black ink ( the darker you want it the more ink you add but TASTE after you add the sac so you know when enough is enough ) keep adding stock till you are happy with the rice add the cleaned prawns about 5min in, this all should take 12 to 15 min stirring constantly.
Remove from heat
Cover and let rest for 10min before serving with a crusty sourdough and a glass of John Kosovich Chardonnay from Swan Valley W.A