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🇭🇷 Dinner · Croatia
Crni Rizot
Crni Rižot — black risotto stained with squid ink — is one of the most iconic dishes of the Dalmatian coast. Its origins are shared with Venice, but the Croatian version uses Italian rice, local fish stock, and Dalmatian white wine, typically Pošip from the island of Korčula. The secret is the ink, added in the last stretch of cooking: it blackens the rice completely, adds a deep oceanic flavour, and gives a glossy, creamy texture. In Dalmatia it is served at weddings and Sunday meals, alongside a glass of cool white wine and a wedge of lemon to brighten it.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Can be frozen
Great for meal prep
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500 g fresh or thawed squid, cleaned, with 2-3 ink sacs reserved
- 300 g arborio or carnaroli rice
- 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 100 ml dry Dalmatian white wine (or Pošip)
- 1 litre warm fish stock (or water with 1 fish stock cube)
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 30 g cold butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
How to make it
- 1Clean the squid carefully: lift out the ink sacs intact into a small bowl with a splash of water, then cut the bodies into 1 cm rings and halve the tentacles.
- 2In a wide heavy pan, heat 4 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute more.
- 3Add the squid rings and tentacles, sauté for 2-3 minutes until just opaque, then pour in the wine and let it evaporate completely (about 2 minutes).
- 4Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat with fat, then begin adding the hot fish stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly for 16-18 minutes total.
- 5Halfway through, break the ink sacs into the remaining stock and pour it in — the risotto turns deep jet black instantly and gains a profound oceanic depth.
- 6When the rice is al dente and creamy with a little stock still pooling, kill the heat and add the cold butter, the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice, and the parsley.
- 7Stir vigorously for 30 seconds for the mantecatura, then cover and rest for 2 minutes.
- 8Serve immediately in shallow bowls with extra parsley on top and a wedge of lemon alongside.
Tip: Add a tempered tarka of cumin, mustard seed and curry leaf at the end — folding the hot oil through is what gives dal its lift.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Calories 360 kcal
Protein 31 g
Carbs 30 g
Fat 11 g
Fiber 2 g
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
🧀 Crumbled feta
🫒 Kalamata olives
🍋 Lemon wedges
🫓 Warm pita bread
