Black Risotto

Pitch black, and almost a little scary looking, crni rižot is a seafood-rice dish as intensely flavourful as it is aromatic. Arguably not for the faint-hearted, possibly polarising, but ultimately an art and delicacy – it’s an absolute must-eat when venturing to Croatia.

With the base similar to a classic risotto recipe; the unique midnight black hue comes from richly dense squid aka cuttlefish ink, added near the end of preparation (best when using fresh ink from your cephalopod of choice!).

Reminiscent of the ocean, the dish is both traditionally and commonly found in coastal Croatia, served across the endless restaurants dotted up and down the coastline.

Of course – no one makes it better than family, or second-best a small local restaurant. Ours was lovingly cooked by relatives, paired with warm freshly cooked bread to mop up the sauce – domácí (homemade) is unbeatable!