Provençal Black Rice

Preparation:

Preparation: Wash the cuttlefish, cut them into pieces and dry them. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them and chop the pulp. Peel the leek, onion, celery and garlic and chop them finely. Wash the wild fennel (or the fennel hearts, which you will cut into 4 pieces). Heat two tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and brown the cuttlefish over high heat. Salt and pepper, add the chopped vegetables, thyme, bay leaf and fennel. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato, stir and cover with hot water. Put the lid on, lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes, adding a little water from time to time to keep the level of the cooking liquid constant. Pour the rice into the saucepan, add the cuttlefish ink, stir, raise the heat a little and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat, add a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve.