My venerable aunt Una has just completed her valedictory visit to Venice. It is her last sojourn in that city because, at the age of 89, she does not think she is “up to it” any more. I think this must be her second or third “final” visit to Venice. Certainly her credibility in these matters has been put in doubt, if only because she not only retains her considerable stamina but also appears in greater possession of her mental faculties than her children, nephews or nieces.

On this occasion the party, consisting of said aunt, her daughter, my sister and a friend forming a quartet reminiscent of an EMForster novella, were steered by me towards the Riviera restaurant on the Dorsoduro. I am often consulted on where to eat in foreign parts and tend to reply with confidence but with scant knowledge: the Riviera is an especially strong recommendation since I have dined there twice and the second visit, a mere 18 months ago, was even better than the first. It in turn was recommended by fellow chef Simon Hopkinson who, it transpired, had not been there at all.

At the Riviera, in summer, one generally dines on the quay under a canopy. One gazes out across the lagoon towards the Giudecca or upstream towards San Giorgio Maggiore: lunch, or indeed life, could hardly be improved upon. The four ladies ensconce themselves, enjoy a refreshing glass of acqua minerale, one of the more daring members of the party indulges in a glass of Prosecco, and they settle down to a menu featuring much of the seafood of the area, cooked with great élan by the chef, who is the wife of the maître d’hotel.

My cousin Alice is served a tuna tartare starter. It is accompanied by a purely decorative slice of lemon: modernist the Riviera may be, but it is not ascetic in style and the chef is not averse to the occasional inconsequential garnish. However, this foible leads Alice to begin to commit one of the great faux pas in Italian gastronomy – as bad as drinking cappuccino after lunch or putting cheese on your seafood pasta or risotto. She is poised to squeeze the lemon over her raw fish. Luckily, help is at hand: the owner rushes forward, seizes the lemon from her hand and hurls it into the lagoon. The ladies are a little shocked and then amused. I think they realise that a disaster has been narrowly averted. The rest of the lunch passes without a hitch.

Rowley Leigh is the chef at Le Café Anglais
rowley.leigh@ft.com
More columns at www.ft.com/leigh

Ristorante Riviera, www.ristoranteriviera.it

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Risotto nero

The essential taste of Venice: the unsavoury effect on the teeth and gums is much mitigated by the incredible richness of flavour. Should you be buying whole squid and cleaning it yourself, you will need a kilo of squid and a degree of care. Fishmongers now sell sachets of squid ink: this is clearly cheating but also incredibly useful. The main thing to remember is no lemon and no cheese. Serves six.

Ingredients
2 onions
1 carrot
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
1 tbs rock salt
600g cleaned squid
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs squid ink
500g Arborio rice
150ml dry white wine
3 tbs chopped flat parsley
50g unsalted butter

Method
● Slice one of the onions and the carrot finely and place in a deep and capacious saucepan or stock pot. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt together with three litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes.
● Add the squid and remove again as soon as it whitens and sets, which should not take more than 30 seconds. Lift out the squid and place on a tray to cool.
● Chop the second onion into very fine dice. Heat a second saucepan and add the olive oil. Stew the onion for three or four minutes until transparent. Add the squid ink and continue to stew the onion gently for a further five minutes before adding the rice. Season it with salt and pepper and turn together in the pan for a minute or two before adding the wine.
● As soon as the wine is absorbed by the rice, start to ladle in the strained liquor in which the squid was briefly cooked, adding a little at a time and stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Continue for between 15 and 20 minutes until the rice becomes tender to the bite.
● While the rice cooks, cut the squid into small bite-sized pieces and chop the parsley finely. Cut the butter into small cubes. Just before you think the rice is cooked, add the squid so it has a couple of minutes to heat through in the risotto. Once you are happy that the rice is cooked, add the parsley and the butter and stir through. Check the seasoning and add another ladleful of stock if the risotto has become too stiff. Serve immediately.