The first time you crack open a tin of squid in ink sauce, the color alone tells you something interesting is about to happen. The sauce is deep, almost black, and it does something to rice that's hard to explain until you try it: it soaks in, flavors every grain, and turns a simple bowl into something that looks and tastes like you actually thought about dinner.
This recipe is barely a recipe. It's a tin, some rice, a few spring onions, and a lemon. The squid does the heavy lifting.
"The ink sauce is savory, a little briny, with just enough tomato and wine to round it out. It's one of those tins that makes you wonder why you were ever reaching for anything else."
Jared, FishNook
About the Tin
Luliña is based in Galicia, Spain, right along the Ría de Arousa, one of the most productive stretches of coastline in Europe. They've been canning seafood there for over 15 years, using traditional methods and sourcing from the same waters their producers have fished for generations. Every tin they sell also contributes to the Ecomar Foundation, a Galician coastal cleanup charity. Good tin, good reason to buy it.
The squids are small, hand-packed, and swimming in a sauce made from cuttlefish ink, tomato, wine, and spices. It's a classic Galician preparation. Simple ingredients, serious flavor.
Why This Works Over Rice
Short-grain white rice is the move here. It's starchy enough to soak up the ink sauce without turning mushy, and the neutral flavor gives the squid room to do its thing. The spring onions add a little freshness and crunch. The lemon cuts through the richness. That's really all this bowl needs.
If you want to take it a step further, a few slices of fresh chili on top add a heat that works really well against the briny depth of the sauce. But that's optional. The tin carries this on its own.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Warm the tin gently. A quick 2-3 minutes over low heat is all it needs. You're not cooking it, just warming it through so the sauce loosens up.
- Use the whole tin. Every drop of that ink sauce goes over the rice. Don't leave any behind.
- Try it with sushi rice. The slightly sticky texture holds up especially well and gives the bowl a Japanese-leaning vibe.
- Add a soft egg. A 6-minute soft-boiled egg on top makes this a more substantial meal and pairs well with the brininess of the squid.
- Serve with crusty bread on the side. The sauce that pools at the bottom of the bowl is worth soaking up.
About the Squid Ink Sauce
Squid and cuttlefish ink has been used in Spanish and Italian cooking for centuries. It's not a gimmick. The ink itself is briny, slightly oceanic, and adds a depth of umami that's hard to replicate with anything else. In this tin, it's balanced with tomato and wine so it doesn't overwhelm. It just makes everything taste more like itself.
The dish this tin is loosely based on, chipirones en su tinta, is a classic of Basque and Galician cooking. Traditionally it's made from scratch with fresh squid. This tin skips about an hour of work and gets you most of the way there in 15 minutes.
