Arroz Negro

Arroz Negro is the showstopper of the paella family — glossy black rice from squid ink, classically finished with a spoon of garlicky alioli melting into the dish at the table.

It tastes far less unusual than it looks: rich, briny, and savoury rather than sharp.

Ingredients

• 400g bomba or Calasparra rice
• 1.2 litres hot fish or seafood stock
• 300g squid, cleaned, cut into rings (reserve ink sacs if using fresh squid)
• 200g raw prawns, peeled
• 2–4g squid ink (sachet, if not using fresh ink)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt, to taste
• Alioli and lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Sear the squid and prawns briefly, about 1 minute, then remove and set aside.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomato. Cook for 2–3 minutes until it darkens.
3. Pour in the hot stock and stir through the squid ink until the liquid turns a deep, glossy black. Bring to a strong simmer and season.
4. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the pan and shake to settle — don't stir again from here.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-high, then reduce to low for 8–10 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the stock.
6. Return the squid and prawns to the pan for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
7. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with a spoon of alioli on top and lemon wedges alongside — the classic way to cut through the rich, briny rice.