"Cuttlefish cooked in its own ink turns the rice glossy black and mineral-deep. It stains the lips of the diner and this is of no concern."
About Black Risotto (Crni Rižot)
Dalmatia's most dramatic dish: cuttlefish (lignje) cooked in its own ink until the rice turns glossy black and the squid ink gives a briny, mineral depth unlike any other seafood dish; finished with white wine, olive oil and grated Paški sir; eaten at every konoba on the Dalmatian coast; the ink stains your lips and you will not care.
Black Risotto (Crni Rižot), a staple of Croatia's cuisine
The Ink
Crni rizot, Dalmatia's black risotto, is cuttlefish or squid cooked with rice in its own ink until the grains turn glossy black. The ink gives a briny, mineral depth unlike any other seafood dish, finished with white wine, olive oil and often a little grated cheese. It is a fixture of konobas all along the Croatian coast.
The Colour
The drama is in the colour. The ink stains the rice jet black and, by the second bite, the diner's lips and teeth too, which locals treat as a fair price for the flavour. It marks most surfaces it touches, so dark clothing is wise. The look is half the dish's appeal.
The Method
The risotto is built much like an Italian one, onion and garlic softened in olive oil, rice toasted, then cooked slowly with fish stock and white wine. The cuttlefish and its ink go in to colour and flavour the whole pot, the seafood cut small so it stays tender. Fresh cuttlefish is essential; a strong ammonia smell signals the opposite.
Dalmatian Seafood
Crni rizot is Dalmatian seafood cooking at its most direct, using the whole animal and turning the ink into the sauce. It belongs to the informal family-run konoba rather than the hotel dining room, eaten with the sea in view. Few dishes capture the coast's thrifty, ingredient-led cooking so vividly.
What to Expect
The crni rižot arrives in a deep bowl, the rice black and glistening. The smell is deeply oceanic. A first bite of the dish has cuttlefish, ink-dark rice and a faint Paški sir saltiness. The ink colour is on the lips of the diner by the second bite.
Why Try It
Crni rižot is Dalmatian seafood cooking at its most direct: nothing wasted, the ink used as the sauce, the sea visible from the table.
✦ Photo Gallery
Insider Tips
Wear dark clothes, the ink stains immediately and permanently.
Order at a konoba (informal family restaurant) rather than a hotel restaurant.
The cuttlefish must be fresh, a strong ammonia smell means it isn't.
