Arroz negro (black paella) recipe by Omar Allibhoy

Recipe from Paella: The Original One-Pan Dish by Omar Allibhoy

(Image credit: Facundo Bustamante)

published 12 June 2023

Cooked with prawns, squid and squid ink, this black-coloured rice dish is the taste of the sea on a plate, said Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy. I have particularly fond memories of it because in my family we would often eat it to celebrate religious events and other special occasions.

Ingredients: serves four

2 litres shellfish stock
0.4g saffron
120ml extra virgin olive oil
2 dried ñora peppers
2 tomatoes
1kg cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into small strips
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
5 sachets of squid ink
440g Spanish paella rice
1kg red prawns (shrimp), shells removed (heads left on)
salt, to taste

Method

Heat the shellfish stock in a saucepan over a low heat and crumble in the saffron. Keep warm over the lowest setting.
Place a paella pan over a low heat, pour in the olive oil and fry the ñora peppers for 2 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oil and blend to a paste with the tomatoes using a blender or food processor; set aside for later.
Increase the heat to high and add the cuttlefish. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until golden in colour. Season with salt. Add the garlic, closely followed by the paprika, the squid ink and the tomato and ñora pepper paste. Cook for about 2 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the tomato paste. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes, ensuring the rice gets coated with the oil.
Carefully add the hot stock to the pan and give it a good stir to distribute the rice evenly. Taste the stock and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cook over a high heat for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, without stirring.
Place the prawns around the paella and shake the pan to flatten the rice. Let it cook for a final 2 minutes, then allow to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before eating.

Recipe from “Paella: The Original One-Pan Dish” by Omar Allibhoy, published by Quadrille at £18. Photography by Facundo Bustamante. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £13.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.

Sign up for the Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations