Rice is one of the most important and consumed cereals around the globe and has been a staple food for many.
Varieties such as black rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, Vialone Nano, Arborio, or Carnaroli are very popular in haute cuisine.
In this post, you will learn and know everything that Arborio rice can offer you. In addition, we bring you a delicious squid riso nero recipe so you can perfectly taste this type of rice.
Keep reading and discover all the good things you can do with arborio rice!
Arborio rice
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Arborio rice: an Italian rice with characteristics for special meals.
Arborio is a rice of Italian origin that grows in the town of Arborio, in the Po Valley, and is one of the favorite types of rice for preparing an Italian dish par excellence: risotto.
Arborio rice can be recognized by its hard, rounded, pearly white grain, which, once cooked, becomes a round, firm, creamy, and chewy grain. This rice grain stands out for its creaminess and ease of absorbing liquid once cooked.
Its creaminess and absorbency are due to the presence of a type of starch named amylopectin, which represents almost 20% of the grain’s composition. It is often compared to Carnaroli rice due to its shape and size, although Carnaroli rice has more starch content.
What are the nutritional values of Arborio rice?
The nutritional values of arborio rice are very similar to the rest. For every 100 grams, Arborio rice provides 350 kcal, 8 grams of protein, 78 grams of carbohydrates, and between 0.9 and 1.5 grams of fat. As you can see, the highest percentage of its nutritional value is carbohydrates.
Also, arborio rice has low amounts of sodium and a considerable amount of iron, which stands out from other kinds of rice.
What foods can you prepare with Arborio rice?
Arborio rice is the most preferred type of rice for Risotto thanks to its silky, creamy, and firm texture. Moreover, its properties and characteristics make this type of rice ideal for preparing meals such as sweet rice, broth rice, baked rice, sushi, and rice pudding.
Black risotto or riso nero recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sachets of squid ink.
- 2 large squid with legs.
- 1 glass of white wine.
- 1 clove of garlic.
- 1 glass of Arborio rice.
- 1 red onion.
- 2 tbsp. Butter.
- 100 grams of Parmesan cheese.
- 1 liter of seafood broth.
- Olive oil.
Method
- Cut the red onion into very small pieces. Grate the Parmesan and reserve it.
- Take a medium frying pan or a saucepan and add a drizzle of oil.
- As soon as it is hot, include the onion and sauté it until it has obtained a transparent texture. If necessary, lower the heat, so it does not burn.
- While cooking, pour the seafood broth into a saucepan and heat it.
- Add the glass of rice and stir for at least two minutes.
- Add the white wine and turn up the heat so that it evaporates.
- Once the wine has been consumed, add a small bag of squid ink and stir well until all the rice has taken the black color of the ink.
- Start to add the seafood broth little by little, spoon by spoon. You will be adding ladles later on as the rice absorbs it.
- While the rice is being prepared, wash the squid legs and cut one of them into small pieces. Now, cut in brunoise the garlic clove (removing the root), take a frying pan, and add a drizzle of oil.
- As soon as it has heated, add the chopped garlic and stir. Add the squid pieces and the whole legs when it starts to brown.
- While the risotto is cooking, add more broth if necessary and test the rice for the perfect and desired cooking.
- As soon as there are about two minutes left, add the other squid ink sachet and stir.
- Finally, add the grated Parmesan and mix well again until it gets the creaminess of the risotto.
Featured Image by Azlin Bloor from Pixabay
