Arroz Negro
(ah-ROTH NEH-gro)
Chapter 4: Larger Shares
A proper pan of arroz negro looks like wet asphalt. Humming with the salinity of the sea and dotted with garlic allioli, it arrives sputtering in a wide carbon-steel pan, rejecting the lazy shortcut of tossing sachets of squid ink into a generic rice pilaf. Have someone pour the Albariño while the stock hisses on the back burner, because true restaurant-quality execution relies on three pillars: a rapidly simmered fumet, an intensely concentrated flavor base called salmorreta, and proper Bomba rice to form the coveted socarrat at the bottom of the pan.
Before you start
Simmer the fumet.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the reserved shrimp shells and fish bones, and sauté aggressively for 4 minutes. Add the leek, pour in the water, and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer for exactly 20 minutes—do not over-boil—then strain and keep piping hot.
Build the salmorreta flavor base.
Hydrate the ñora peppers in hot water for 15 minutes, then scrape the flesh from the skins. Fry 4 garlic cloves in a splash of olive oil until golden, then pound or blend the garlic, pepper flesh, and grated tomato into a paste. Sauté this paste over medium heat until all water evaporates, leaving a dark concentrate.
Emulsify the alioli.
In a heavy mortar, relentlessly pound the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of coarse salt into a completely smooth, wet paste. Whisk in the egg yolk and lemon juice, then very slowly—drop by drop—whisk in 3/4 cup of olive oil until it is thick enough that a spoon stands upright in it.
Ingredients
- white fish bones and heads1 lb
- raw large shrimp1/2 lb
- leek1 small
- water6 cup
- dried ñora peppers2 med
- garlic6 med
- ripe tomatoes2 med
- Spanish extra-virgin olive oil1 cup
- cleaned squid1 lb
- yellow onion1 small
- green bell pepper1/2 small
- squid ink12 g
- dry Spanish white wine1/4 cup
- Arroz Bomba1 1/2 cup
- coarse sea salt1 tsp
- large egg1 large
- fresh lemon juice1 tsp
Method
- 01
Sear the seafood.
Place a 13-inch paella pan over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sear the shrimp for 30 seconds per side until pink, remove, and set aside. Sauté the squid for 1 to 2 minutes until opaque, then remove and set aside.
- 02
Caramelize the sofrito.
Lower the heat to medium and add the finely diced onion and green pepper to the residual oil. Cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes until meltingly soft, then stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of your prepared salmorreta and cook for 2 minutes.
- 03
Bloom the ink and toast the rice.
Squeeze the squid ink into the pan and stir vigorously to cook the raw ink and release its flavor. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits, then add the Bomba rice and stir continuously for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in the black oil.
- 04
Simmer without stirring.
Pour 4 1/2 cups of the piping hot fumet into the pan and distribute the rice evenly. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat for 10 minutes; from this point forward, you must absolutely not stir the rice.
- 05
Achieve the socarrat.
As the liquid drops below the rice, lower the heat to medium-low, arrange the reserved squid and shrimp on top, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. When you hear the sound change from a gentle bubbling to a sharp crackling, turn the heat to medium-high for 60 to 90 seconds; once you smell a deeply toasted, nutty aroma, immediately cut the heat.
- 06
Let the rice rest.
Cover the pan tightly with a clean, dry kitchen towel or newspaper and let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the starches to relax. Bring the entire pan to the table and instruct guests to swirl a generous dollop of alioli into their rice just before eating.
Notes
Respect the Bomba rice.
Bomba can absorb three times its volume in liquid without bursting. This structural integrity is what forms the socarrat. Do not substitute Arborio unless it's a true emergency, and never stir it once the liquid is in the pan.
Don't overcook the fish stock.
The golden rule of Spanish fumet is never to boil it for hours. Twenty minutes is all you need; anything longer extracts bitter compounds and calcium from the fish bones, ruining the flavor.
Substituting ñora peppers.
If you cannot source dried ñoras for the salmorreta, substitute 1 teaspoon of sweet Pimentón de la Vera and 1/2 teaspoon of hot Pimentón de la Vera. Do not use generic supermarket paprika.