February 2023

 

We're thrilled to virtually welcome you to our onboard kitchens, where premium ingredients are transformed into unforgettable culinary experiences. You now have the opportunity to sample some of these flavours at home thanks to our "Recipe of the Month". We'll start with a flavourful and sophisticated dish: cuttlefish ink risotto and roasted Pachino tomatoes with marjoram presented by our Executive Chef Francesco Laforgia and currently available onboard MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia, which have recently set sail for the World Cruise 2023. 


Ingredients and quantities for four people 

Carnaroli rice 280 g – Diced cuttlefish 100 g – Cuttlefish ink 2 g – Vegetable stock 300 ml – Finely chopped shallots 60 g – Extra-virgin olive oil 20 ml – Butter 50 g – White wine 30 ml – Pachino tomatoes cut in half 100 g – Parsley to taste – Marjoram to taste – Chives to taste – Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Season them with a little oil, salt, and marjoram leaves. Place them on a baking tray in a single layer and bake them in the oven at 60°C for about 1 hour. The water in the tomatoes will evaporate, and they will take on the flavours released by the fresh marjoram while remaining intact and firm. 

In a blender, combine the parsley with the oil and salt. Set aside. 

Steam some of the diced cuttlefish and keep it warm – this will be used to garnish the dish. 

In a saucepan with a little extra-virgin olive oil, fry the chopped shallots, add the remaining diced cuttlefish cubes and leave to cook for a few minutes. Add the rice, allowing it to toast, then pour in the wine and cook until it evaporates. 

Dissolve the cuttlefish ink in a very small amount of stock and add it to the rice, allowing it to start cooking. You can't rush a good risotto: the hot stock needs to be added to the rice a little at a time, rather than all at once. 

Once the risotto is cooked, stir in a little butter, add the finely chopped chives, season to taste, and garnish with the roasted tomatoes, the cuttlefish cubes, and a drop of parsley oil here and there. 

Buon appetito!