By request of some friends over in Sydney (hi P & V!), but also just so I can remember the recipe when I go back to Europe for a Winter break, this is my risotto recipe that I usually just call ‘the red one’. I like strongly coloured risottos – even a jet black one using squid ink – and this is my favourite blood red risotto recipe!

The fried chorizo is important as it releases its oil into the pan which helps make the calamari and rice turn more orange, although most of the red in the dish comes from the pepper and tomatoes. So its important to buy good quality chorizo for this, as opposed to some of the cheaper supermarket one’s that haven’t been cured properly.

Ingredients (for 2-3 persons)

2 Spicy Chorizo Sausages – Chopped into slices

1 Medium Sized Calamari (cleaned)

1 Red Pepper – Chopped or Sliced in rings – your choice!

1 Tin of Red Chopped Tomatoes

1 Onion – Quarter Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic – Crushed

1 Fresh Red Thai Chili – Sliced thinly

1 Dried Thai Chili – Roughly Chopped

1 Cup of Arborio Rice

4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Vegetable Stock

50g of butter

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Cooking:

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion and chorizo. Fry until the chorizo is browned and the oil turns orange with the released fat of the chorizo. Remove the Chorizo.
2. Fry the calamari in the chorizo oil with the dried chili until the calamari is cooked and has picked up the chorizo colouring. Remove the Calamari.
3. Fry the rice for a minute or two (you may need to add a glug of olive oil if the pan is dry) and add the 1st Ladle of stock. Keep cooking adding extra ladle when the rice has absorbed the liquid. For the following ladles add the ingredients as specified.
4. 2nd Ladle : Add the chorizo, calamari, fresh chili and garlic.
5. 3rd Ladle : Use the tin of tomatoes INSTEAD of the vegetable stock.
6. 4th Ladle : Add the red peppers.
7. Keep add extra ladles until the rice is fully cooked and serve with parmesan.

Total Time – approx 1 hour.

Also prawns can be added to this dish, which makes the flavour much more of a seafood risotto. Use 2-3 (depending on the size) raw prawns per person and cook as per the calamari.

Enjoy!

Tags: calamari, chorizo, Cooking, italian recipe, recipe, Risotto

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