2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oils, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)
salt and black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of saffron
pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne
1 pound squid, bodies cleaned and cut into 1/8-inch slices, tentacles halved
1/2 cup chopped tomato, canned or fresh
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons squid ink or two packets (sometimes sold as cuttlefish ink)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup carnarolli or arborio rice
4 cups unsalted fish, chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half the diced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and barely colored, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add garlic, saffron and dried red pepper and cook for 1 minute more.
Add squid bodies and tentacles, stir well to coat and season with salt. Add tomato, bay leaf and 1/4 cup white wine. Add 1 cup water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in squid ink. Simmer for 10 minutes more, until squid is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
Remove squid and reserve for another use (The squid is really meant to add flavor to tomato sauce) or chop finely and return to tomato sauce.
Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining onion, season with salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice, stir to coat, and cook for 2 minutes more.
Keeping heat brisk, add remaining 1/4 cup wine and 2 cups of the broth and simmer, stirring, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the last cup of broth and all of the tomato/squid mixture. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes more, until rice is just done. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add a little more broth, as necessary, to keep rice moist and loose, but not too soupy. Stir in lemon zest and parsley, then spoon into warm shallow soup bowls. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.
Russ
If you prefer to use a mold, fry squid independently in olive oil for a couple of minutes then chop them well . Then add the ingredients indicated in step 2 above.
If using a mold, you will need less liquid than indicated above.
If you want to cap the mold with a complementary flavor saute sliced scallops or shrimp.
