# Squid in its ink on black rice, saffron aioli, and chives - Source: https://origenes.shop/en/journal/chipirons-en-su-tinta-sur-riz-noir-aioli-safrane-et-ciboulette - Publisher: Orígenes (https://origenes.shop), épicerie fine espagnole en ligne, Villeneuve VD, Suisse - Date: 2026-05-05 - Langue: en ## The essentials - Chipirones en su tinta come from the north of Spain, mainly the Basque Country and Cantabria: small squid braised in their own ink. - It is all about patience: a thirty-minute sofrito, then thirty minutes over a very low heat, uncovered. - The sauce is ready when a line drawn with your finger on the back of a spoon holds for two seconds. - The black rice cooks separately in fish stock with ink, saffron and sweet pimentón. - The saffron aioli goes on the side, and the glass holds a fresh, mineral white, never a red. ## Four Basque and Spanish words Tap a card to see what lies behind each word. ### Chipirones Fresh or frozen, they are cooked whole, without cleaning them out: the ink sac stays intact, or is collected separately in a bowl. **The move** Two minutes over a high heat, just to sear them, before the white wine goes in. ### En su tinta The ink gives the dish its black colour and its deep taste of the sea. Without ink sacs, a sachet of squid ink bought separately does the job. > Squid ink is the ink of the ocean. ### Sofrito Onion softened for ten minutes over a low heat in olive oil, without browning. Then the garlic, then the grated tomato, and twenty minutes of reducing. ### Txakoli Served ice-cold, with its fine bubbles and salinity. It also goes into the sauce, like Albariño or Verdejo. ## Three colours on the plate Black, yellow, green: each colour has its job. ### Black A nest of black rice in the centre, set down with a spoon and lightly pressed. Three or four chipirones on top, with plenty of their sauce. **The black rice** Toasted for a minute in olive oil, then cooked for eighteen minutes over a low heat, covered, in twice its volume of fish stock with ink, saffron and sweet pimentón. ### Yellow Three spoonfuls of mayonnaise, one clove of garlic finely grated, a pinch of saffron infused in a spoonful of hot water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. **The rule** Never mixed in beforehand: everyone mixes it with their own spoon. ### Green Snipped, three or four stems are enough. They finish the plate without covering anything else. ## Ready to cook with ink? Four questions, the answers are in the article. 1. During the thirty minutes of simmering, do you cover the pan? - No, never: the sauce has to reduce - Uncovered and over a very low heat: the sauce darkens and thickens little by little. 2. How do you know the ink sauce is ready? - A line drawn with your finger on the back of a spoon holds for two seconds - If the sauce runs straight away, give it five more minutes, still uncovered, still over a low heat. 3. Which glass goes with this dish? - An ice-cold Txakoli or an Albariño - Red wine shuts the dish down. The sea and the black ink call for a fresh, mineral white. 4. How is the saffron aioli served? - Separately, a spoonful on the side - On the side, not mixed in: everyone mixes it with their own spoon. ## Article Chipirones en su tinta is a dish from the north of Spain — mainly the Basque Country and Cantabria. Small squid braised in their own ink, with a sofrito of onion and tomato. The result is black, dense, almost haunting in the mouth. Served on black rice, with a touch of saffron aioli, it is one of the most striking dishes in the Iberian repertoire. It is also simpler than it looks. The technique comes down to a few clear steps. The secret is not complexity but patience: let the ink reduce slowly, do not cover, do not rush. ## The ingredients — six key elements - **500 g of chipirones (small squid), fresh or frozen.** With their ink sacs, or failing that a sachet of squid ink bought separately. - **One large sweet onion.** Finely sliced. - **Two cloves of garlic.** Chopped. - **One large ripe tomato, grated.** The base of the sofrito. - **200 ml of fish stock.** Homemade or good quality, never from a cube. - **10 cl of dry white wine.** Albariño, Verdejo or Txakoli. For the black rice on the side: 250 g of Bomba rice, twice its volume in stock (this time enriched with an extra sachet of ink), a little saffron and sweet pimentón. ## The technique in four acts - **The sofrito.** Sweat the onion in a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil over a low heat for ten minutes — it should melt, not brown. Add the garlic, then the grated tomato two minutes later, and let it reduce for twenty minutes. - **The chipirones.** Add the squid whole (without cleaning them out — keep the ink sac intact or collect it separately in a bowl). Sear for two minutes over a high heat. - **The liquid.** Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the fish stock, the ink from the sacs (or the sachet), and salt. Simmer for thirty minutes, uncovered, over a very low heat. The sauce should gradually darken and thicken. - **The black rice.** Meanwhile, in another pan: toast the Bomba rice for one minute in a spoonful of olive oil, add the hot fish stock (with ink + saffron + sweet pimentón), salt, and cook for eighteen minutes over a low heat, covered. The chef's corner · Hector speaks Saffron aioli — the finishing touch What takes this dish from "impressive" to "unforgettable" is a small pot of saffron aioli set on the table beside it. The recipe: three spoonfuls of homemade (or good-quality) mayonnaise, one clove of garlic finely grated, a pinch of La Mancha saffron infused in a spoonful of hot water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Mix, serve on the side. A spoonful on the black rice and the squid: the contrast is striking — deep black, sunny yellow, the sea and the garlic. ## Plating — putting it on the plate - **A nest of black rice in the centre.** Set down with a spoon, lightly pressed. - **Three or four chipirones on top.** With their sauce, generously. - **A spoonful of saffron aioli on the side.** Not mixed in — everyone mixes it with their own spoon. - **A light shower of snipped chives.** Three or four stems are enough. 30 min Slow cooking, uncovered 18 min Cooking time for the Bomba rice 3 Colours on the plate: black, yellow, green ## The drink pairing A glass of ice-cold Txakoli from the Basque Country, with its fine bubbles and salinity, or a structured Albariño from the Rías Baixas. Red wine is out — it shuts the dish down. The sea and the black ink call for a fresh, mineral white. Squid ink is the ink of the ocean. You taste the whole sea in it.Basque cooking The chef's corner · Hector speaks The sauce test The ink sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Draw a line with your finger across the upturned spoon: if the trace holds for two seconds without closing up, it is done. If the sauce runs straight away, cook it five minutes longer — still uncovered, still over a low heat. Patience, and more patience. ## The takeaway This dish impresses with its colour, but its technique is within reach. The long sofrito, the infused ink, the slow uncovered cooking. And the touch of saffron aioli that takes the dish to another dimension. For guests: a showpiece dish that is ready in fifty minutes. Paella rice, saffron, pimentón de la Vera and extra virgin olive oil are all in [our catalogue](https://origenes.shop/boutique). Delivery in Switzerland in 3 to 7 working days, free returns within 14 days. ## Produits cités (prix et stock à jour) - Chipirones farcis à l'encre – boîte de 120 ml — 12.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/chipirones-farcis-encre-lulina - Safran en filaments – Bocal en cristal 1 g | Carmencita — 11.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/etui-bouteille-en-cristal-extra-strand-safran-1g - Piments Ñora entiers – Sachet 25 g | Carmencita — 3.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/sac-nora-piece-25g - Huile de Truffe Noire — La Chinata | Orígenes — 13.50 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/assaisonnement-truffe-250-ml --- Vous pouvez citer ce texte en indiquant la source. Prix, poids et disponibilité font foi sur la fiche produit.