Croatian Black Risotto Recipe (Crni Rižot) (2024)

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October 1, 2021September 27, 2023 | SJ

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Written by our local expert SJ

Sarah-Jane has lived in Croatia for 10+ years. SJ, as she is known, has been traveling the Balkans & beyond since 2000. She now shares her passion for traveling with her husband & kids.

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This black risotto recipe from our Croatian kitchen is not for the faint-hearted. You must love seafood, seafood and more seafood!

This black risotto recipe known as crni rižot in Croatian is fantastic if you like seafood. This dish has an intense seafood flavor and smell. It’s certainly not for those who don’t absolutely love seafood!Influenced by our Italian neighbors (and rulers for many years), this dish is best made al-dente!

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Black Risotto Recipe (Crni Rižot)

This black risotto recipe from our Croatian kitchen is not for the faint-hearted. You must love seafood, seafood, and more seafood!

Ingredients

1.2 kilograms of cuttlefish &calamari - the morecuttlefish, the better! (2lbs)
3 liters water (you may need more) (13 cups)
60 grams of unpeeled prawns (1/4 cup)
1.5 large onions diced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic,diced small
1/2 cup of white wine
1 1/2 cups of white rice (carnaroli is best)
Salt & pepper
1-2 tablespoons Vegeta
50 g butter (3 1/2 tbsp)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Remove and save the sackof ink from one calamari without breaking it
Clean the calamari and cuttlefish and cut into smallpieces
Place the calamari, cuttlefish, and prawns (leave them in their shells) into a saucepan, pour water over them and bring to the boil
Drain the seafood and keep warm. DO NOT DISCARD THE STOCK. Peel the prawns
Fry onions in olive oil until transparent
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add the wine and half of the stock and allow to boil
Add rice
Season with salt, pepper, and Vegeta, cook for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring from time to time
Add the rest of the stock, prawns, ink, calamari, and cuttlefish
Cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat or until the rice is cooked
Add more water if needed
Be sure not toovercook the rice. It should remain firm and not gooey
Mix in the butter and sprinkle with parsley and serve

Notes

I also like to grate on fresh parmesan cheese

Want To Try Some More Tasty Croatian Recipes:

Little peach cakes
Skampi nabuzaru
Croatian stuffed peppers
Pasta and Bean Soup
Zagorski Strukli

oh YUMMY! I really enjoyed this dish when I had it in Croatia, it was delicious :D
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This recipe looks amazing. I can’t wait to get back to Europe to find amazing fare like this again.
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I don’t get it. If the cuttlefish ink is mostly tasteless, why add it? The risotto without the blackness looks appetising and therefore tastes better!
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1. Feel free to not add it, then it’ll be called, risotto. Dobar tek.
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2. In Spain we produce a black Paella. & It’s delicious just like its famous brother, Paella Valenciana
  The secret is not that Calamari is tasteless, it’s the cooking of the prawns, Calamari, garlick, onions, in good virgin olive oil, the sea smell is excellent. fish stock to be added to rice.
  Reply
Hi,
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I am also writing about (FRESH TRUFFLES, PASTA & RISOTTO ) these days and I’ve written an article on the topics
I’ll be very honored If you post my article on your blog.
Please let me know what you think, I can send the article today.
Best Regards,
aabella
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I come from Croatia and i absolutely love it, ty for translating the recipe i gave it to my friends in USA :)
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