Black Rice (Arròs Negre)

Arròs negre is a typical dish from Tarragona, Catalonia, but even today its origin is disputed between Catalonia and Valencia. I believe that it is a dish from Tarragona since they have all the necessary ingredients, including rice from the Delta del Ebro and any fish and seafood that the sea gives them. Its origins, like paella, are humble from the beginning and not very well known outside the fishermen's world. If they catch cuttlefish or squid they cook them with rice and use the ink to give black color and infuse the flavors of the sea. There is a similar dish from Cuba and Puerto Rico called "arroz con calamares."

Ingredients:

olive oil
2 pounds squid, cleaned and cut
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 green pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
fish stock and rice (If using Spanish bomba rice, 3 parts stock and 1 part rice)
2 envelopes squid ink
Alioli

Optional Ingredients:

1/2 pound shrimp
1/2 pound mussels
1/2 pound clams
1/2 cup green peas

In a paella pan, heat the olive oil, onions, garlic and green pepper. Then add the squid and paprika. Stir and cook of a few minutes and then add the ink dissolved in a cup of broth. Add the rice and fish stock and cook for about 10 minutes. Next add the peas, mussels and clams. Cook until the rice is done. Cover for 5 minutes and serve with alioli.