Arroz Negro (Spanish Black Rice with Squid)

Jet-black rice cooked in squid ink and fish stock, served with garlicky alioli.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 400g cleaned squid, tubes cut into rings and tentacles halved
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green pepper, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, grated, skins discarded
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 900ml hot fish stock (2 stock cubes)
  • 2 x 4g sachets squid ink
  • 300g paella (bomba) rice
  • For the alioli: 6 tbsp mayonnaise
  • For the alioli: 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • For the alioli: 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Mix the mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice for the alioli and chill until needed.

  2. Heat the oil in a 38cm paella pan or very wide, shallow frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the squid for 3 minutes, then push to the edge. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and paprika and cook for 5 minutes until thick.

  3. Stir the squid ink into the hot stock until dissolved. Pour into the pan, bring to the boil and season; the stock should taste slightly salty.

  4. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the pan and stir once. Do not stir from now on; this lets the rice develop a crisp, golden base (socarrat) on the bottom of the pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to low for 8 to 10 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

  5. Cover with foil, rest for 5 minutes and serve with the alioli and lemon wedges.