Squid Ink Rissotto with Chorizo stuffed Squid

 
I have never cooked with squid ink before but saw some for sale in a fishmongers stall in Brighton market so thought I would buy it with no idea of what to do with it! I figured squid probably go's well with squid ink and had chorizo and risotto rice so risotto it was! I adapted a recipe from Waitrose website for the stuffed squid.


Stuffed Squid

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
60g chorizo sausage, chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Squid cleaned, tentacles chopped

a pinch of saffron (optional)


Squid Ink Risotto 

1¾ pint Chicken Stock

50g Butter 

I onion finely chopped 

1 Garlic cloves

250g  risotto rice

125ml White Wine

2 sachets squid ink

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by cleaning and preparing your squid if this has not already been done for you and I will say that having several smaller squid would be better than one big one like I used but that's is all they had! Next soften the onion in oil for 5 minutes then stir in the chorizo, chilli and garlic and cook for a few mins and then blitz in the food processor. Stuff your squids with the chorizo mix and secure at the ends with cocktail sticks ready to pan fry when the risotto is ready.

I'm not going to tell you how to make a risotto as I am sure you all know how to do that and do not need me to tell you how! When the risotto is nearly ready start pan frying your squids, and depending on the size of them can take anything from a few minutes up to 6.  Be careful not to overcook the squid and you can just pop the tentacles in the pan in the last minute of cooking. This could be a really nice thing to serve at a dinner party as it looks amazing with the black, white and red!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic and smoky Bacon Risotto

Store cupboard meals can sometimes be the best kind and this is exactly what this turned out to be. My fridge was looking rather bare but I did have some smoked bacon a large butternut squash and a Parmesan rind with a thick layer of Parmesan still on it perfect for just throwing in the risotto and letting it work it's cheesy magic! I didn't have wine so just used chicken stock and it was perfectly fine.

Risotto Rice
Butternut squash
6 cloves of Garlic
6 Rashers of Smokey Bacon
Parmesan cheese/Rind
1 Large Onion diced
Olive Oil
Knob of Butter
Salt and Pepper




I started by chopping my onion up and gently frying in butter and olive oil. I also chopped up my butternut squash and tossed It in a roasting tin with garlic and olive oil. I keep the garlic in there skins to stop them burning and so I can squish them out of there skins later







After frying the onions I add the risotto rice to the pan and take the cloves of garlic out of the over to add to it.




I cooked my bacon under the grill because I like it crispy, I saved the crispiest bits to go on the top!


My boyfriend isn't keen on chunks of butternut squash so it was scraped from the skin when it had been roasted and was mixed in to the risotto, fussy boy.


That's my lonely cucumber in the background, I had no other salad items to go with it.........

Red Wine Riotto and Harissa Roast Chicken

I had half a bottle of red wine and some Japenease rice and apparntly you can use Japenease rice as a replacement for aborio risotto rice and it worked like a dream. I made risotto in the same way you always do with the butter and the wine and the stock, I roasted a whole chicken smothered in Harissa paste and olive oil with some whole onions thrown in in the roasting tin. I added the sticky sweet onions to the risotto and sliced the breast off the chicken, placed it on top of the risotto with some rocket and it was some kind of food porngasm....




My amazing camera skills you all know and love perfectly shown in this photo


My two lovely harissa covered roast chicken breasts that I used my self trained knife skills to remove from the roasted bird(please note the hint of sarcasm here)


A photo that isn't blurry, there is hope for me yet

Prawn and Pea Risotto.

I wanted something relatively indulgent and filling but also fresh and summery to eat for my dinner this evening, so though a sweet pea and prawn risotto would be perfect enjoyed outside in the afternoon sun with a glass of white wine, so that is exactly what I did.
Mercer does not like sea food because he is mentally unbalanced but luck had it that he was going to spend the evening with friends so I had free reign to cook what I wanted in the kitchen and by God I knew it had to be seafood.

Prawn and Pea Risotto

Knob of butter
olive oil
1 small onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
300g arborio rice
100ml white wine
800ml vegetable stock fresh
250g cooked peeled prawns
100g frozen peas
80g Parmesan , grated

First melt a knob of butter with a dash of olive oil in a wide, shallow pan and add the onion. Cook until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a minute but don't brown. Tip in the rice and mix well. Add the wine and stir till it evaporates. Pour in stock to just cover the rice and gently simmer, staying with it the whole time and stirring from time to time.
As the stock evaporates, add more stock and stir until all the stock is used, this will take about 12-15 minutes. Finally, add the prawns, peas and season. Simmer for 2 minutes, mix in half the Parmesan just before serving then sprinkle the remainder over the top and you can add a squeeze of lemon juice if you fancy and have a green salad with it, if you fancy but it's very perfect as it is as well!