Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Risone, black seabed, parsley, and Oyster Gin by Valentina Rizzo

FDL
By
Fine Dining Lovers
Editorial Staff
Difficulty
Intermediate
Total Time
2H 0MIN
Cuisine

Ingredients

Crustaceans: 150g/5.3 oz (mixed shrimp and prawns)

Mussels: 500g/1.1lb (already cleaned)

Mixed fish: 1kg/2.2lb (anchovies, mackerel, sauries, herrings, albacore, sardines, amberjacks)

Squids: 2 (dirty, preserve the ink sac)

Ice: 500g/1.1lb

Water: 3l/quarts

Carrots: 2

Onion: 2

Celery: 2, stalks

Shallots: 1

Garlic cloves: 2

Tomato puree: 10g/0.4 oz

White wine: 100ml/3.4 fl oz

Extra virgin olive oil: to taste

Parsley: 150g/5.3 oz, (blanched)

Egg whites: 60g/2.1 oz

Egg yolks: 80g/2.8 oz, (pasteurized)

Garlic cloves: 1

Mustard: 10g/0.4 oz

Salt: 3g/0.1 oz

Lemon: 1, (with edible peel)

Risone: 360g/12.7 oz

Black pepper: to taste

Squid ink: 20g/0.7 oz

Discover how to cook a dish by Valentina Rizzo from Farmacia dei Sani in Puglia utilising risone, a type of small pasta often used in Italian cuisine.

For this dish, Rizzo uses risone pastina, resembling rice grains, and cooks it in a rich broth made from various seafood, with squid ink providing the black coulour. The pasta is prepared like a risotto, and finished with beurre blanc, lemon zest and black pepper. A parsley foam and Oyster Gin add vibrant green and aromatic notes to the dish. 
 

Method

01.
For the black seabed

Fillet the fish, separating the bones and flesh. Open the mussels in a covered pot, strain the liquid they release, and separate the mussels from the shells, which can be discarded. 

In a wide-bottomed pot, heat enough olive oil to toast the fish and vegetables. Once the oil is hot, start with the squid, then add the crustaceans, and finally the fish bones. Toast everything thoroughly. 

When the fish has released all its flavour, add the chopped vegetables and tomato puree. Cook until fully browned, then deglaze with white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate. 
 
Add the ice to create a thermal shock. Once it's melted, add water and bring everything to a boil. Then, pour the fish meat, mussels, and their liquid into the broth. 
 
Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. You should have about 1,500ml of dark-coloured broth. 

02.
For the parsley foam

First, blanch the parsley leaves in boiling water with bicarbonate for 2-3 minutes. Drain and let them cool in ice water. Squeeze out excess water and dry the leaves. 

About 300g/10.6 oz of parsley leaves are needed to obtain 150g/5.3 oz of blanched parsley. In a food processor, blend the parsley first, then add the other ingredients while continuing to blend until you have a dense and homogeneous sauce. Add a little water as needed. Pass it through a fine-mesh sieve and let it cool. 

If you have a kitchen siphon, fill it with the sauce, charge it with an N2O cartridge, shake vigorously, and store it in the fridge. If you don't have a siphon, keep the sauce in a squeeze bottle in the fridge until serving. 

03.
Optional: fish beurre blanc

50g/1.8 oz fish broth  
25g/0.9 oz buttermilk (can be substituted with water)  
130g/4.6 oz butter 

Method

In a Thermomix, heat the buttermilk and fish broth to 80°C/175°F with the blades in motion. Gradually add the cubed butter until completely melted and emulsify at a higher speed. Place the mixture in the fridge, stirring occasionally. If you don't have a Thermomix, warm the broth and buttermilk (without boiling) in a saucepan.  
 
When it's well-heated, whisk in the butter cubes until fully melted. Emulsify with an immersion blender and store in the fridge. This step can be done the day before. 

04.

In a saucepan, dry-toast the risone pasta just as you would with rice, stirring continuously. After a few minutes, when you detect a slight wheat aroma and the pasta is hot, add the boiling broth to cover the pasta completely. 

Continue stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, and proceed as if you were making a risotto by adding the broth gradually until the pasta is cooked al dente. 

Off the heat, add the squid ink while stirring constantly. At this point, add the fish beurre blanc or, alternatively, 80g/2.8 oz of cold butter cut into cubes, a grated lemon zest, and black pepper. Continue to stir until you achieve a glossy and creamy consistency. 

Plate the dish on flat plates, use a vaporiser to spray the Oyster Gin on the plate, and finish with dollops of the parsley foam. 

Join the community
Badge
Join us for unlimited access to the very best of Fine Dining Lovers