Preparation

• Prepare the dough following the procedure described for the whole wheat dough for Ragusan scacce.

  

• Cuttlefish Cleaning and Ink Extraction
  On youtube I found → this video that describes in detail how to clean a cuttlefish: how to remove eyes and beak, how to peel the cuttlefish, and how to recover the ink sac.

  In brief
  • rinse the cuttlefish under running water and dry it with kitchen paper towels;
  • remove the eyes, the beak, and the bone;
  • rinse the cuttlefish;
  • proceed with removing the innards:
  – cut the part of the mantle that covered the bone;
  – gently extract the innards by pulling or cutting them with a small knife: eggs, cuttlefish milts, and ink sac as a single block, then separately livers and gills.
  The eggs and cuttlefish milts are a real delicacy, and the livers are edible too.

  Identify the ink sac or bladder and remove it gently intact to avoid spilling the contents, as the walls are very thin and can easily break, so keep a small glass or bowl handy in case you need to recover the contents.
  The gills are to be discarded.
  Finally, peel the cuttlefish: consider that the skin is edible, so peeling it is not necessary.
  • peel away the skin by pulling it along the mantle from one side and the other.

  The cuttlefish is clean.

  Set aside the ink sac or bladder for preparing:
  • pasta with cuttlefish ink;
  • whole and deaminated cuttlefish ink risotto;
  or, if you do not intend to use it immediately, you can store it as follows:
  • freezing cuttlefish ink in tomato sauce.

• Cut the cuttlefish bodies and tentacles into chunks.

  Precooking Cuttlefish
  In a hot pan, heat a sprinkle of garlic powder.
  Add chopped onion and let it wilt with a few ml of water.
  Add the cuttlefish chunks to the pan, stir, and brown them quickly: they will go in the oven later.
  Splash with a small glass of white wine.

  Season with:
  • salt;
  • pepper;
  • chopped parsley;
  • a drizzle of oil;
  and mix.

  For the traditional cuttlefish pie add:
  • whole wheat breadcrumbs;
  • grated cheese;
  • previously blanched and well-drained peas;
  and mix.

  Or prepare the simple cuttlefish pie.

• Knead the dough by hand to restore elasticity and divide it into dough balls.

  For each pie, you need 2 dough balls:
  – 120 g dough ball for the base;
  – 70 g dough ball for the cover;
  [thanks to Giovannella, my friend Sara’s mother, for the tip on the weight of the dough balls].

• Use semolina and a good rolling pin.
  The whole wheat dough is more delicate to handle than the classic dough.
  Roll out the dough balls to form 2 discs:
  – from the 120 g dough ball, a slightly larger disc for the base;
  – from the 70 g dough ball, a slightly smaller disc for the cover;
  about 0.12-0.16 inches thick.

  Alternatively, if you want pies of different sizes, roll out the dough balls and cut a slightly larger and a slightly smaller disc using bowls or plates, lids or pastry cutters.

  Use a pinch of semolina on the work surface and the dough disc as you roll it.
  It is an alternation of flour, roll, flour, roll, rotate, and so on.

• Spread the cuttlefish on the base leaving the edges free.
  Cover with the cover and seal the edges with your fingers.
  Twist the edge over itself to achieve the characteristic rieficu or simply close it like a calzone.
  Pierce the pie with a fork in several places.
  ^{[step-by-step images valid for any filling].}
  * grandma’s trick: if you have made pies with different fillings, puncture them with the fork carving the initials of the filling, e.g., S for cuttlefish.

• Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and arrange the cuttlefish pies on top.

• I set the oven as follows:
  • temperature 356°F fan mode;
  • temperature 392°F static mode.
  Temperatures and times may vary from oven to oven and depending on the size of the scacce.
  • preheat the oven well.
  • bake for about 30-40 minutes in a fan oven and check the cooking.

  If the cuttlefish pies become intensely colored, lower the oven temperature and continue cooking until the 40 minutes are completed.

  For a less rustic look, glaze the surface of the pies by brushing them with a drizzle of raw oil.

  Your Ragusan cuttlefish pies are ready.

  They are excellent hot or cold, but I recommend waiting until they are warm.

  Enjoy your meal!

  
• 

• • Ragusan Scaccia: whole wheat dough, types, flavors.