Squid Ink Risotto with Capelin Roe

This risotto recipe looks harder to make than it really is. The key ingredients -- squid ink and the salted roe of either flying fish or capelin -- are esoteric, but aren't hard to find. The flavor of the dish is briny yet bright, and the roe adds a happy little pop to the dish. Called tobiko or masago, the bright orange roe is readily available at Asian stores or well-stocked fish markets. Squid ink can be bought on the internet or at Italian markets. If you don't have the fish stock suggested for this recipe, use chicken stock. This risotto recipe will serve 6 as an appetizer or side dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups risotto rice, such as arborio or carnaroli
• 1 T. finely chopped lemongrass
• 2 T. finely chopped shallots
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 quart fish or chicken stock
• 1 packet squid ink, or the ink from 5 squid
• 1 t. salt
• Juice of a lemon
• Salted flying fish, capelin, herring or whitefish roe for garnish

Preparation:

In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for a minute or two. Add the finely chopped lemongrass and shallots and cook until the shallots are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil, lemongrass and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute.

Start adding the fish stock a little at at time. Start with a cup. Pour it in, stir to combine, and adjust the heat so it is simmering, not boiling. While you do not have to stir constantly, you need to stir risotto every minute or two.

When the rice absorbs the first cup of stock, add another and repeat the process of stirring. Do not cover your rice. You want it to be sticky and just a little saucy, not thin and soupy.

After the full quart of stock is incorporated, taste some rice: Is it crunchy still? Add some water, only this time add just 1/2 cup. If the rice is pretty much done -- it should still be firm, al dente like good pasta -- add the squid ink now. If you've added extra water, mix the squid ink in after it is incorporated.

Make sure the ink, which is thick like syrup, is all mixed in, then add the lemon juice and stir that in, too. You are ready to serve.

I like to serve this risotto in a cylinder form, which you can easily do by loosely packing some risotto into a measuring cup -- 1/2 cup size is perfect for an appetizer -- and tapping it out over the plate. You don't have to do this, but it looks cool.

Top with a dollop of the salted roe. I used masago, or capelin roe, in the picture, but you could use tobiko, which is the flying fish roe you see at sushi restaurants. Any small roe is good for this, and the bright yellow whitefish roe looks neat, too.

Can you skip the caviar? Yep. But the black risotto needs something bright to top it. Try substituting finely chopped tomatoes or roasted peppers, or very finely shredded carrots -- something brightly colored is the key here.

To drink, I'd recommend a full-bodied white wine, such as a Chardonnay or a southern Italian Grillo.