Cava de Paraje Calificado is produced from vines in a small area which is distinguished from others by its specific characteristics (location and terroir). A superior Cava, synonymous with exceptional quality.
40 minutes
Difficulty
4 people
Seafood
Black rice is one of the most traditional of Mediterranean dishes. It’s a speciality dish that you’ll find on the menus of many restaurants all along our coast, and one that can easily be cooked at home. Furthermore, according to the molecular level study carried out by the ‘Créateur d’Harmonies’ François Chartier, it harmonises to perfection with Cavas de Paraje Calificado (single-vineyard cavas, bottle-aged for over 36 months).
Of all the ingredients, the pairing of Mediterranean black rice with a Cava de Paraje Calificadomakes for a delicious contrast of the cava with the cuttlefish, tomato and onion.
We’ll explain in detail how to prepare this dish, but do make sure to read the advice we include at the end as well, as it’ll help you to make a truly delicious black rice.
Ingredients
400g Bomba rice
1.5 Litres fish stock or fumet
500g Cuttlefish
4 Sachets of cuttlefish ink (fresh or frozen)
1 Large onion (weighing around 300g)
2 Cloves of garlic
2 Large ripe tomatoes
8/10 Saffron threads
80ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Instructions
1
Clean the cuttlefish thoroughly under the tap, and drain. Once drained, cut into small pieces and reserve.
2
Peel the onion and the garlic cloves. Chop the onion finely, and cut the garlic into thin slices. Reserve.
3
Peel the tomatoes, remove all of the seeds, and then blitz the flesh to a puree in a food processor. Set this aside too.
4
If you’ve opted for frozen ink, now’s the time to take it out of the freezer.
5
Heat the stock in a saucepan, to which you’ll later add the rice.
6
Warm the paella pan (if you don’t have one, a frying pan will be fine) that you’re going to serve the rice in on a medium heat, and add the extra virgin olive oil.
7
Once the oil is nice and hot, add the cuttlefish pieces and sauté until golden. It’s important to make sure that the cuttlefish is well-drained before adding it to the hot oil, as if not the oil could spit and burn you.
8
When the cuttlefish is golden brown, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon, and reserve on a plate. Do use a slotted spoon as in this way you’ll make sure that as much of the oil as possible stays in the pan.
9
Next, without turning down the heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until golden. If a bit more oil is needed, add another splash.
10
Once the onion and garlic are nicely browned, add the pureed tomato, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
11
Then add the rice and the ink, take a wooden spoon, and mix all the ingredients together well. Cook for another 2 minutes.
12
Now add the stock you have in your saucepan, making sure that it’s hot (don’t add it cold) so that the rice cooks properly, and your timings are correct.
13
Add the cuttlefish and saffron threads, and check the seasoning. If your stock already has salt, then you probably won’t need more, but if not, add a teaspoonful at the most – remember that all the ingredients flavour the rice. It’s best to have a taste now, so that you can rectify if necessary.
14
Allow to cook over a high heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down, and simmer over a medium heat until cooked. It’s important not to stir the rice at this point.
15
When the rice is cooked to perfection, remove the pan from the heat, and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.
16
Now it’s time to serve according to your taste. Aioli goes extremely well with black rice.
17
And once it’s on the plate don’t forget to pair it with a Cava de Paraje (bottle-aged for over 36 months) to fully enjoy all those wonderful flavours and aromas.
Tips
Rice: we suggest Bomba rice, but you could also use other varieties. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time, and also the amount of stock you use, depending on which variety you choose.
Sénia or Bahía rice need 2.5 parts stock to one-part rice, whereas round grain rice needs 3 or 3.5 parts stock to one-part rice. Cooking time will vary too, so you’ll need to test frequently to check to see when it’s cooked.
Stock: our advice is to use home-made stock, but if you don’t have any to hand, the dish can be prepared using a commercial brand available from the supermarket.
Rest your rice: if you see that the grains are still a bit hard when you take the pan off the heat, while it’s resting cover your rice with a clean, damp (not wet) cloth. The warmth and humidity will soften the grains.
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40 minutes
Difficulty
4 people
Seafood
