Arroz negro is a traditional Spanish specialty originating from the Valencia and Catalan regions made simply with prawns, squid and squid ink. This dish with its ink stained rice is the epitome of of deep sea on a plate. This post was sponsored by Wente Vineyards. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible. This message is for readers 21+.
Now that spring is nearing its end, we have transitioned to lighter fare. Lots of salads, barely cooked meals, and seafood take center stage on our dinner table. I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Wente Vineyards to kick off summer with lots of delicious food, wine pairing, and more time spent with loved ones over communal dining. Having discovered Wente Vineyards many years ago while living in the Bay Area, we love their Morning Fog Chardonnay and enjoy pairing it with seafood, especially arroz negro, or squid ink paella.
Paella is the dish that made me fall in love with Spanish food but it’s arroz negro that cemented my love for Spain. Arroz negro is a traditional Spanish specialty originating from the Valencia and Catalan regions. Made simply with prawns, squid and squid ink, the striking ink stained rice makes this nothing short of a showstopper and is the epitome of deep sea flavor.
Arroz negro is all about depth of flavor. The intensity of flavor in the fish stock, the kind of rice, and the size of paella pan are the most important factors affecting how delicious this dish will turn out. For arroz negro, I used a basic homemade fish stock made from simmering a pound of prawn heads and tails with 4 cloves of garlic, 4 cups of water, and letting the volume reduce by half over 30 minutes. You can double or triple the amount to make what you need. If you don’t have time to make your own fish stock, get a quality stock from your fishmonger or local supermarket.
Use a short grain rice like Spanish bomba or Calasparra that will absorb more water than any other types of rice without losing its texture. The more stock the rice absorbs, the more flavor it will take on. A wide paella pan with a thin base allows the liquid to cook off quickly and evenly. The caramelization of the ingredients and how the rice cooks over the wide surface add different dimensions of flavor to the finished dish.
After cooking the squid rings, I quicky sauteed the onion then added garlic, and tomatoes to let everything caramelize before stirring in paprika and saffron. Then I stirred in the rice and let it cook in the sofrito (aromatic mixture of gently sautéed onions, garlic and tomatoes) before pouring in homemade fish stock, Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, and squid ink. Everything is simmered for until the rice becomes tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Keep an eye on the mixture and add a tablespoon of water at a time if it’s becoming too dry. Unlike a risotto, only stir it occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom and burning. After 15 minutes, I arranged the prawns on top and let it cook covered with a lid for about 5-7 minutes.
When the prawns are cooked, I added the squid rings back into the pans, then took it off the stove to rest for about 10 minutes. Traditionally arroz negro is served with a garlicky saffron aioli but I found that this dish is so rich already, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice add a lovely finish to this dish.
I love how the rice grains in the middle are tender but maintain some bites while the bottom has a crisp layer bursting with different textures and flavors. The braising liquid imbues every grain with heady ocean infused perfume and flavor that pairs perfectly with a glass of Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay. With notes of creamy lemon curd, graham, a touch of floral and vanilla, and a nice acidity, Morning Fog Chardonnay complements the richness of this dish. Next time you're looking for a great wine to pair with seafood, look no further than Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay!
If you like seafood, you'll like these recipes: Garlic prawn tapas and mouclade.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram. We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound prawns, head on
- ½ pound squid
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- pinch of saffron
- 12 ounces Bomba or Calasparra rice
- ½ cup Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay
- 6 cups cups fish stock
- 60 ml squid ink
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped for serving
- 1 lemon, for serving
Instructions
- To prepare the squid, remove wings from the squid and cut the bodies open down one side. Cut them into slices about ¼ inch thick. Slice any large tentacles into bite size pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat and add the squid to the pan and saute for 30 seconds then remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion and let it cook until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add in the paprika and pinch of saffron and continue cooking on low heat until you have a soft, thick mixture, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the rice to the pan and let it coat in tomato mixture.
- Pour the wine into the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the fish stock and give it a quick stir before adding in the squid ink. Season with salt to taste.
- Bring the rice to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Leave the rice to cook for another 20 minutes Keep an eye on the mixture and stir occasionally to make sure the bottom of the pan is not burnt. At this stage, you don't want to stir frequently or you will disturb the socarrat base that has formed at the bottom of the pan. Add a tablespoon of water if it's becoming too dry. The texture of the rice should just be al dente.
- Add the prawns and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Add back the squid.
- Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- When ready to serve, divide the rice among 4 serving plates. Top with parsley and lemon wedge for serving.
Eli
I was a little nervous at first trying this but it was so delicious!
vytran24
Hi Eli! I'm so happy it turned out delicious! This one is definitely more adventurous than the regular paella =)
Susan Vayda
When do you add the squid ink?
Vy Tran
Hi Susan! It's in step 7 after adding in the seafood stock then squid ink.
Susan
Thank you. I missed it.
Vy Tran
you're welcome!
MB
I made this for a dinner party and it was a hit!
Alyssa Mine
What size paella pan does this recipe use?
Vy Tran
Hi Alyssa! I used the 15 inch paella pan.
Khim
Hi what does 6cups of fish stick means ? Does it means 1.422 litres ? That is quite a lot ???
Khim
Apologies, stock
Vy Tran
Hi! I know 6 cups of stock sounds like a lot but the rice absorbs quite a bit of it and it also evaporates as you cook. You end up getting 6-8 servings depending how much each person eats.
Álvaro
I just made this and it was delicious. A couple of adjustments I will try next time are (1) frying the squid a bit longer and (2) frying the shrimp heads and discarding them, then adding peeled shrimp (and probably more of them). I know the unpeeled shrimp are authentic, but I have young kids that can't peel them and I don't enjoy the mess myself.
Vy Tran
Hi Alvaro! I'm so glad it turned out delicious! My husband would agree with you about the shrimp. He prefers them peeled as well. One of my kids actually likes the unpeeled shrimp with the heads on. He's probably the only kid I know that likes to eat shrimp this way.
Pamela
This was so delicious and reminded me of our trip to Spain. Agreed with what someone said previously about the peeled prawns. They're much easier to eat. Thanks for the recipe!
Cassie
I love squid ink and this paella turned out amazing! The leftovers tasted great the next day.
Moira
So good! Totally satisfied my craving. I've been meaning to make this after our Spain vacation and so glad I found your recipe. Thank you!
Kristen
So good and different from the other paella! That squid ink makes the flavor very unique!
Sara
Wow! This is probably one of my favorite paellas!
Jose Oyon
How many cups of rice is 12oz. I’m finding different conversions depending the type of ounces (fluid or solid). Thanks.
Vy Tran
Hi Jose! It's about 1 1/2 cups of rice. Hope that helps!
Kristen
So good! Very different from other paella.
Lena
I made this with spot prawns, clams, and the squid. Flavor was amazing!
DS
Can’t wait to make this! One quick question- ¼ c olive oil extra virgin - this is 1/4 cup? Thanks!
Vy Tran
Hi DS! yes 1/4 cup. Somehow the recipe didn't transfer over correctly but it's fixed now.
David Crocker
When printing the recipe, the buttons to select the quantities according to the number of servings are very helpful; but please add an option to select quantities in metric. Almost everywhere except the US uses metric.
Vy Tran
Hi David! Thank you for the feedback. We will definitely add that in the future!
Vincent
This dish is delicious! I was also a bit nervous before started making it. But it turned out really well, especially with the squid ink!
Vy Tran
So happy to hear that Vincent! I was intimidated with squid ink initially but it's fun to create dishes once you get a feel for how much to use.
Anna C
This was absolutely A-MAZ-ING!!!
Hubby and I, along with two other couples, traveled to Spain in September, 2023, and I was mesmerized by their food! We just did our own 'Spanish Night', making our favorite dishes from when we were there. I did the arroz negro (obviously) and it was a hit! I couldn't find fish stock, but I did find a shrimp soup at the local Asian market. It was seasoned perfectly and I didn't have to add any other spices (salt, etc). Six cups of the stock was quite a bit for me. It slightly overcooked the rice a bit for my liking. I would go with maybe five cups next time and add more as needed, a little at a time. I purchased the headless prawns and peeled them before adding them. This recipe is most definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing it with us!!
Vy Tran
Hi Anna! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. We were supposed to go to Spain a couple years ago but the pandemic happened. I'm hoping to go in the next couple years and experience food the way you and your friends did. Thank you for trying and sharing your experience!
justin
Came out great. On 3rd attempt, each time better at adding enough liquid (easy to underdo)
Vy Tran
I'm glad it worked out and impressed that you attempted it three times! Thank you for trying the recipe!
Debbie
Real good, just like the one I ate in Toremolinos, Spain. I made it twice, delicious!! Thank you for the recipe.
Vy Tran
You're welcome Debbie! I haven't heard of Toremolinos before. Will be checking it out for our Spain trip.