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NOTES FROM THE SAVEUR
Test Kitchen
Tastes, traditions, and techniques inspiring us in the kitchen right now
Dark Magic
The briny flavor
and dramatic color
of cuttlefish inkIt may be spring, the season
of vibrant pink rhubarb, pas-
tel green peas, and emerald
ramps, but I’ve been gravitat-
ing toward the moody hue of
cuttlefish ink.
For “Tripe and Truffles”
(pg. 32), we tested Pitti Gola
e Cantina’s risotto al nero, a
hearty cuttlefish ink–stained
arborio rice (recipe at right).
Though a relative of the squid,
the cuttlefish has notably dif-
ferent ink. Where squid ink is
more purple and less viscous,
a cuttlefish’s is jet-black and
jelly like with a reflective sheen.
Delicately briny, it lends pasta
and risotto sauces a subtle,
oceanic salinity and intense
coloration. Beyond pasta, con-
sider working a few drops into
pizza dough, soup broth, or
white bean dip.
You can find jarred ink
online, in gourmet markets,
and at some seafood coun-
ters. We sourced ours from
the Fulton Fish Market in
New York City (shop.fultonfish
market.com). If you can find
cuttlefish at your fishmonger,
harvest the ink from the sack
by gently puncturing it over a
bowl and squeezing out the
contents. —Stacy AdimandoPHOTOGRAPH BY MATT TAYLOR-GROSS