Crni rižot is black risotto: short-grain rice cooked with onion, garlic, white wine and olive oil, with squid, calamari or cuttlefish added and the ink that turns the dish black.

Total Croatia News calls crni rižot one of the least attractive but tastiest dishes on the Adriatic and says it is on the menu of most restaurants along the coast. In Venice it is the signature risotto nero di seppia, and the author suggests that is how it reached Croatia, given Venetian influence on the Dalmatian coast. In Split, Konoba Varos lists a black cuttlefish risotto and Konoba Korta names black risotto among its favourite dishes.

Where to eat Crni Rizot (Black Risotto) in Split

2 editor picks for Crni Rizot (Black Risotto) in Split, ranked by editorial score. All Split signature dishes · Crni Rizot (Black Risotto) across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 450 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 300g arborio or carnaroli rice
  • 500g whole squid, cleaned, ink sacs reserved
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 800ml hot fish or vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 sachets squid ink (extra; the small ink sacs are not enough alone)
  • Sea salt, black pepper, flat parsley to finish

Method

  1. Slice cleaned squid into rings; chop tentacles. Salt them lightly.
  2. In a heavy pan, soften onion in olive oil 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.
  3. Add squid; cook 3 minutes until just opaque. Add rice; stir to coat.
  4. Add wine; let bubble until almost dry. Add half the stock and all the ink. Stir.
  5. Cook on low, adding stock a ladle at a time, stirring often, 18 to 20 minutes.
  6. Finish with a tablespoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley.

Editor tip. Black risotto stains; the right consistency is loose enough to spread on the plate.

Common allergens: Shellfish.