Today is Halloween! So I thought a spooky inspired dish was necessary of course! So enter my Squid Ink Risotto with Lemon Shrimp Tartare, its the perfect dish to eat while watching Hocus Pocus! You know we all gotta watch it on Halloween. So before you jet off to the tv and stuff your face with candy, think about making a fun and delicious dinner. There is just something so fun about squid ink, the color is amazing but it brings a beautiful ocean taste to the dish as well, I absolutely love working with it! Now, typically risotto is made arborio rice, but let me tell you Castor River White Rice brings the starch and the taste too! Just remember to take your time and enjoy the process of cooking risotto, because you really want to work that starch out of the rice.

Squid Ink Risotto with Lemon Shrimp Tartare

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot diced, medium
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup Castor River Farms White Rice
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp squid ink or more to deepen color
• 3 cups seafood  stock
• salt and pepper, to taste

Shrimp Tartare

10 ounces fish shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tsp sumac, optional

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the seafood stock to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low to maintain warmth.
2. In a Dutch oven or large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallot and garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic.
3. Add the white rice, stirring to coat each grain with butter. If necessary, add more butter to ensure each grain is well-coated. Cook the rice for approximately 2 minutes until it turns translucent with a slightly opaque center.
4. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine, allowing it to simmer until it has fully evaporated. Stir in 1 teaspoon of squid ink.
5. Gradually add the hot seafood stock, ½ to 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next.
6. After about 15 minutes, begin tasting the rice for texture. The risotto should be al dente, with a slight firmness. Adjust the color by adding more squid ink, if desired, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve promptly, topped with the shrimp tartar.

Shrimp Tartar

1. On a clean cutting board, gently chop the shrimp into small pieces. Make sure not to over chop the shrimp or it will be mushy.
2. Add the shrimp to a bowl along with the lemon zest, and sumac. Use a spoon to mix everything together. Then serve.