Preparation

• On YouTube you’ll find a very clear video about cleaning cuttlefish in which the recovery of the ink sac is described in detail.

  Rinse the cuttlefish under running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
  Remove the eyes and the beak and extract the pen (gladius).
  Rinse again.
  Proceed to remove the viscera.
  After extracting the pen, part of the mantle [cuttlefish sac] remains open:
  – cut the skin that covered the pen to open the internal cavity that contains the viscera;
  – gently remove the viscera, if necessary help yourself with a small knife: eggs, milt and the ink sac in one block, then separately livers and gills.
  The eggs and milt of cuttlefish are a real delicacy.
  The livers are also edible.
  The gills should be discarded.
  Locate the ink sac and separate it gently intact so as not to spill its contents.
  The walls are very thin and break easily so keep a small glass or bowl at hand in case you need to recover its contents urgently.
  After removing the viscera, check that there are no residues inside the mantle.
  Skin the cuttlefish: note that the skin is edible so this is not a necessary operation:
  – peel the skin by pulling it along the mantle from one side and then the other.
  Thoroughly wash the sac, inside and out, and the tentacles under running water.
  Pat dry with kitchen paper.

  The cuttlefish is clean and ready to be stuffed.

• Rinse the cuttlefish under running water.
  Pat dry with kitchen paper.
  Cut the cuttlefish tentacles into small pieces.

  In a small pan heat a sprinkle of garlic powder.
  Deglaze with a small glass of white wine (about 2 fl oz).
  Add the tentacles and quickly brown over high heat.

  Let cool.
  In a bowl, add:
  – breadcrumbs or wholemeal breadcrumbs;
  – grated cheese;
  in approximately equal amounts, according to the size of the cuttlefish;
  – salt;
  – pepper;
  – chopped parsley;
  and mix.
  You can flavor the stuffing with a handful of chopped capers and a handful of pine nuts.
  Add the tentacle pieces, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and combine the ingredients.
  If the mixture is too dry add one tablespoon of water.

• With the help of a tablespoon or teaspoon, fill the cuttlefish leaving about 0.4 in (1 cm) from the edge of the sac and close with a toothpick.

• Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
  Arrange the stuffed cuttlefish.
  Preheat the oven.
  Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes.
  Turn the cuttlefish halfway through cooking to brown them evenly.

  Plate.
  Grind a little more pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil raw.

  Your Sicilian-style stuffed cuttlefish are ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

  

• Serve whole if small and sliced if large.

• In a pan heat a sprinkle of garlic powder, the chopped onion and a few parsley stems.
  Deglaze with a small glass of white wine (about 2 fl oz).
  Place the cuttlefish in the pan and brown for one minute per side, turning gently.
  Cover with tomato sauce and enough water to rinse out the sauce container.
  Add a pinch of salt and grind pepper.
  Let cook covered, preferably with a glass lid, over low heat for about 20 minutes, turning the cuttlefish occasionally, depending on their size, until they are cooked and the sauce has reduced.

  Plate.

  Your stuffed cuttlefish in tomato sauce are ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

  

• Stuffed cuttlefish are theoretically a main course.
  Do not forget to take into account the breading when calculating the total carbohydrates of your meal.
  Balance the meal by completing with preferably whole grain carbohydrates [bread, pasta or rice] and vegetables so as to compose a balanced meal or one-plate dish that helps keep blood sugar stable.

• In honor of the traditions of the fishing village, stuffed cuttlefish are among the dishes on St. Joseph’s table.
  They are presented decorated with sprigs of parsley and lemon slices.