Try something new and dramatic by including squid or cuttlefish ink in your cooking. When visiting Mallorca we never miss an opportunity to visit the classic CELLER SA PREMSA restaurant in Palma de Mallorca to enjoy a dark and luscious pan of their Paella Negra (black paella). It is spectacularly delicious with the dark depths of the ink stained rice bestowing a striking visual delight. Here's how you can make it at home, and how to perhaps use squid ink in your other dishes.
Paella Negra
Using your favourite seafood paella or risotto recipe (we love Omar Allibhoy's take on the classic Paella de Marisco; found here), add a sachet or two of cuttlefish ink to the rice just after you've added the fish or vegetable stock. Stir until the colour has spread through all the rice (top tip: avoid using your favourite wooden spoon as the ink will likely stain it). Alternatively, you could add the ink to the hot stock before adding it to the pan. It goes very well with prawns, squid and all sorts of shellfish, and is perfectly finished with a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of parsley leaves.
Black Spaghetti or Linguini
In a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, fry off some crushed garlic and finely chopped Ortiz anchovy fillets. Add some ripe tomato concasse (peeled and deseeded), and after a few minutes, squeeze in the ink and stir to combine. If you wish, add some squid pieces or prawns to the mix too. When all is cooked through, add hot cooked pasta to the pan with a little of the pasta water to loosen the mix, and serve dressed with fresh parsley and a generous grinding of black pepper.
Shop the recipe...
The H&Co. Deli Store is well stocked with most of the ingredients required for both dishes and we can even supply you with the perfect polished steel paella pans for your culinary creations. Shop our Deli Store here or pop into our Leicester store where we can also direct you to our favourite fish counters in town.