Black rice with salsa alioli
Experience the flavors of a traditional Spanish recipe with a beautiful appearance and delicious blend of seafood and rice. Easy to make!
Ingredients
- 400 g Round Rice
- 250 g Prawn Tails
- 250 g Fresh Calamari
- 250 g Monkfish
- 4 tbsp Calamari Squid Ink
- 50 g Tomato Sauce
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 l Water
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Salsa alioli The Tapas Sauces
Instructions
- Chop the onion, garlic, calamari, red pepper, and monkfish into small pieces.
- Add them to a frying pan with olive oil and saute.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of paprika into the mix.
- Add tomato sauce and stir.
- Add water.
- Add calamari squid ink.
- Add salt.
- Add round rice and cook on low flame.
- Serve alongside a ramekin of salsa aioli The Tapas Sauces.
Video
Notes
Seafood lovers looking for their next Mediterranean-inspired recipe needn’t look any further than this black rice with salsa alioli dish. Not only does it blend the salty and savory flavors of the sea with onion and garlic, but it does so with a warm and rich mix of sauce and rice for extra comforting textures. Enjoy this meal as either a starter or main alongside a ramekin filled with our very own salsa alioli The Tapas Sauces, bringing a fresh and garlicky flavor enhancer to the table. It’s a dish that resembles a traditional Spanish paella but with a dark and mysterious vibrancy coming from the addition of squid ink.
Origins of the Spanish black rice recipe
Spanish black rice originates from the Valencia and Catalonia regions of Spain. The country’s national dish, paella, also comes from the same regions which explains the similarities between the two. Traditionally, Spanish black rice was not considered a paella dish. However, in recent years, some establishments have started to call it paella negra (“black paella”), a name that suggests it does indeed belong to the same category. If you’re looking for it on a menu in Spain, you’ll most likely find it referred to as arroz negro, unless you’re in Valencia or Catalonia, where it’s called arròs negre or arrós negre.Spanish black rice variations around the world
The same dish is enjoyed outside of Spain, across the ocean, and on the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico where it’s known as arroz con calamares (“rice with squid”). In the Philippines, they have their own variation of the dish known as paelya negra. Similar recipes are also found in Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro where they are referred to as black risotto.Valencian cuisine
The Valencian region of Spain is home to paella, the country’s national dish, but also a vast array of delightful recipes that come with their own distinct characteristics. Many of the region’s dishes are cooked in a large frying pan and include rice, citrus fruits, vegetables, seafood, or meat.Catalan cuisine
The food of Catalonia is particularly varied and consists of a range of Mediterranean influences and ingredients. As Spain’s most north-eastern region, there are influences from neighboring France, various pork-based recipes, and seafood dishes, with the latter often resembling those found in Valencia which sits side by side with Catalonia on the coast.Top tips for cooking paella and similar dishes
- Use the right pan – The best one to use is a typical paella pan with handles on either side. If you can’t get hold of one, use a non-stick frying pan, preferably 4 cm deep and medium weight.
- Add a base – This can be sofrito, which is a mixture of onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Having this at the bottom of the pan enriches the overall flavor.
- Get experimental – Swap the seafood for chicken, or the chicken for pork, or how about making it a vegan or vegetarian dish? Feel free to create your own spin on Spanish rice dishes, just don’t tell anyone in Spain!
