Odd Food—Squid Ink
Everyone has heard of squid ink pasta, and nobody cooks with it. The reasons are pretty obvious; it’s hard to find, and when you do find it it’s usually $60 and comes in a container the size of a small coffee tin. Ironically, it's one of the least difficult things to cook with in the world. It's mostly "dump" and keep a very casual eye on the consistency because you've added a tiny extra amount of wet stuff.
Squid ink is available in specialty stores occasionally (It's a rarity, so call. Don’t waste your gas), and it almost always comes in packets like this:
These are 1.4 oz. and come in a box of six. You should not be paying $20 for it either—significantly less. It’s really the only way for a home chef to buy it, and expect finding it in town to be a pain in the ass.
Squid ink is literally the ink from a squid, but “squid” is a generic term. It could be octopus, squid or cuttlefish—it’s all basically the same unless you have a particular fancy for the cuttlefish at the aquarium that seems to be looking at you. They’re pretty smart, but unfortunately for them, also tasty.
Cooking with it is ridiculously simple. It adds very little flavor if any. It may have a slight taste of the sea and a hint of iodine, but it’s surprisingly neutral. It will stain your fingers until you wash your hands, but once it’s diluted in the food you won’t end up with a black tongue. It’s said that people who eat a lot of squid ink often need it for iodine in lieu of other sources, but today it’s mostly for fun.
The only thing to be aware of is consistency. The ink is about as thick as miso paste or molasses, and it will affect the food a little. Risotto, for instance, will end up with a gooier (in a good way) consistency that actually requires less butter and cheese, provided you balance the water right. That being said, make it taste good first and the consistency can be adjusted with liquid if it's too thick. One cup rice, three 1.4 oz. packets added when you add the water. Remember, you want it black, not "stained tooth" black.
Making pasta operates on the same principle. Add two 1.4 oz packets before you combine to a pasta dough mix consisting of 200g of 2-to-1 flour-to-semolina, two eggs and two pinches of salt. VERY IMPORTANT: Remember the risotto goo? Make sure it’s a stiff dough so it doesn’t clog your pasta maker, and off you go. If it feels wet, it is. Err on the dry side.
Other than that there’s nothing to it. It adds a minute amount of flavor, makes food look cool, and, well, makes food look really cool. I recommend it for fun and the occasional dinner party, but don’t get into the habit of making it a go-to staple. Unless people are begging for it the novelty wears off quickly. Fortunately, ink keeps for a really, really long time.
Finally, a note on eating. It seems to make sense to serve it with seafood. True. However, you can really eat it with anything. A generic risotto with squid ink basically tastes like risotto with a touch of...something?
Arts and Culture, Food: The Game Birds—The Quail
Arts and Culture, Food: The Game Birds—An Introduction
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—Escargot
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—The Oxtail
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—My Fridge Full of Crap
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—The Compost Bin
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—Pig Trotter pt. 3
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—Pig Trotter pt. 2
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—Pig Trotter pt. 1
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—Squid Ink
Arts and Culture, Food: Odd Food—The Octopus