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Nigella's Squink risotto

The whole point of this risotto is that it’s tinted black by the squid ink (the squink of my title) and I had no desire to lessen its impact with some pallid white wine. What’s more, squid ink is so richly, headily flavoured that nothing less than a robust red would stand up to it. While I am more than happy to eat it plain black, I can’t help feeling cheered by the jaunty tricolore adornment provided by the squid rings, red chilli pepper and parsley.
Ingredients

1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock, preferably organic
8 tsp olive oil
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled
250g/9oz risotto rice
125ml/5fl oz red wine
2 sachets squid ink (available from fishmongers or delicatessens)
1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
250g/9oz (cleaned weight) baby squid, cut into fine rings
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
small handful chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Heat the stock through and keep warm in a saucepan over the lowest heat.

Warm 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat and fry the sliced spring onions until softened for 2 minutes. Keep stirring and don’t let them burn.

Grate in the garlic and turn up the heat. Toss in the rice and turn it in the oil so it is slicked and shiny.

Pour in the red wine and let it bubble up over the rice.

Wearing disposable gloves, snip the sachet of squid ink and add to the rice. Carefully dunk the squeezed-out sachets into the separate pan of hot stock to get out any remaining ink.

Add and keep adding ladlefuls of the hot stock to the rice, letting one ladleful be absorbed before adding the next, stirring all the while.

When the rice has had 15 minutes, you can be less assiduous on the stirring front and get on with the squid.

In a frying pan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and the chilli until sizzling, then add the squid rings and cook, stirring or shaking the pan a little, for 3 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

By this time, the black risotto should be ready, so divide it between warmed shallow bowls or plates, top with the fried chilli and squid and scatter with the parsley.