Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Croatian · Mediterranean

Crni rižot (black cuttlefish risotto)

Non-vegetarian

Crni rižot

A glossy jet-black risotto of cuttlefish or squid cooked with wine, garlic and its own ink. A staple of Dalmatian konobas along the Adriatic coast.

Crni rižot (black cuttlefish risotto) is a Croatian main course, ready in about 1 hour 2 minutes and made with squid, squid / cuttlefish ink and short-grain rice. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Rest
2 min
Total
1 h 2 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
642

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and soften the onion (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and squid (opens in a new tab) and cook, stirring, until the squid turns opaque and releases its liquid.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Pour in half the wine, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes so the squid (opens in a new tab) becomes tender.

    • 15 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the rice and toast for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the wine, the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) if using and the ink diluted in a ladle of hot stock.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and letting each addition be absorbed before the next, until the rice is creamy and just tender.

    • 18 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Take off the heat, stir in the parsley (opens in a new tab) (and cheese if using), rest 2 minutes until the rice settles but is still loose and creamy, and serve with lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Dalmatia, Croatia · Commonly attributedClosely related to Venetian risotto al nero di seppia; also a fixture of Montenegro's coast.Also popular in Montenegro, ItalyMore food from Croatia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Rice dishes
Cooking method
Simmered, Sautéed
Taste
savoury, umami, salty, garlicky
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat
Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
Squid · Short-grain rice · Onion · Garlic · Dry white wine · Fish stock
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom parmesan
  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish stock
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish stock
  • Contains: Molluscsfrom squid, squid / cuttlefish ink
  • May contain: Celeryfrom fish stock
  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dry white wine

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

642 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 617 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 24%
  • Carbohydrate 48%
  • Fat 28%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy642 kcal104 kcal
Protein36.3 g5.9 g
Carbohydrate72.7 g11.8 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat18.7 g3 g
Saturated fat3.2 g0.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol357 mg58 mg
Sodium1123 mg182 mg
Salt equivalent2.8 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
958 mg
Calcium
79 mg
Iron
2.1 mg
Magnesium
98 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
13 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
4 µg
Folate (DFE)
27 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: tomato paste, parmesan, lemon.
  • Squid / cuttlefish ink: Raw squid (FDC 174223) used as a stand-in; ink is used in small amounts and its own composition is not in USDA data.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The finished rižot should be loose enough to spread across the plate.

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the squid only briefly before adding rice: it needs the gentle braise first or it stays rubbery.

Serve with

  • Serve with a crisp white wine such as Pošip or Malvazija.

Food safety

  • Keep raw squid chilled and cook it until opaque throughout.
  • Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; reheat only once, until piping hot.

Storage

  • Best eaten fresh; refrigerate leftovers up to 1 day.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently with a splash of stock.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like

  • Delicious stuffed vine leaves served with yogurt, lemon, tomato, and side salad on a wooden table.

    Koupepia

    Cypriot · 1 h 55 min · 494 kcal

  • Minestrone soup

    Minestrone

    Italian · 1 h 5 min · 245 kcal · Vegetarian