The Sicilian-style stuffed cuttlefish are a recipe from the seafaring tradition.
I live in a small seaside village, in the places of Inspector Montalbano.
When in season, my father makes sure we never lack fresh cuttlefish bought directly from the village fishermen [Marina di Ragusa] or from nearby towns [Donnalucata or Scoglitti].
In fishing hamlets, stuffed cuttlefish represented the “Sunday” dish or dishes for special occasions.
The filling, simple but flavorful, was born as a way to reuse leftovers: stale bread and cuttlefish tentacles seasoned with whatever was available – cheese, aromatic herbs, sometimes capers or pine nuts.
Do not forget to take the stuffing into account when calculating the total carbohydrates of your meal.
You can bake them in the oven or cook them in tomato sauce.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 cuttlefish
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 shot (about 1 fl oz / 30 ml) white wine
- as needed breadcrumbs (or whole-wheat breadcrumbs)
- as needed cheese (grated: grana or Parmigiano)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed chopped parsley
- as needed capers in salt (optional)
- as needed pine nuts (optional)
- 1 drizzle (to finish) extra virgin olive oil (to finish raw)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- as needed onion
- 4 stalks parsley
- 1 shot (about 1 fl oz / 30 ml) white wine
- as needed tomato sauce (homemade)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
Suggested tools
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Frying pan non-stick
- Baking tray 9.8 x 11.4 in
- Parchment paper
- 1 Pan with lid, preferably glass
Preparation
This preparation does not use cuttlefish ink.
You can recover it and store it for another recipe.
For the detailed step-by-step procedure you can read the tutorial by clicking on the following link: freezing cuttlefish ink in tomato sauce | without crystals or grains.
On YouTube you can find a very clear video on the cleaning of cuttlefish which describes in detail how to recover the ink sac.
In short
Wash the cuttlefish under running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Remove the eyes and the beak and extract the bone.
Rinse again.
Proceed to remove the entrails.
The removal of the bone leaves an opening in the mantle:
– cut the skin that covered the bone to expose the cavity that contains the entrails;
– gently extract the entrails by tearing them or cutting them with a small knife: eggs, cuttlefish milt and the ink sac in a single block, then separately the livers and gills.
The eggs and the milt are a real delicacy and the livers are also edible.
The gills should be discarded.
Locate the ink sac and separate it gently and intact so as not to spill its contents, the walls are very thin and easily break so keep a small glass or bowl handy in case you need to recover its contents quickly.
Skin the cuttlefish: note that the skin is edible so this is not strictly necessary:
– detach the skin by pulling it along the mantle from one side and the other.The cuttlefish is clean and ready to be stuffed.
Whether fresh or thawed, remove the cuttlefish from the fridge at least half an hour before cooking.
Rinse again.
Pat dry with kitchen paper.Cut the cuttlefish tentacles into small pieces.
In a small frying pan heat a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Deglaze with a shot of white wine (about 1 fl oz / 30 ml).
Add the tentacles and quickly brown over high heat.Let cool.
In a bowl, add:
– breadcrumbs or whole-wheat breadcrumbs;
– grated cheese;
in roughly equal amounts depending on the size of the cuttlefish;
– salt;
– pepper;
– chopped parsley
and mix.You can flavor the breadcrumb mix with a handful of chopped capers and a handful of pine nuts.
Add the chopped tentacles, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and combine the ingredients.
With the help of a spoon or a teaspoon, fill the cuttlefish.
Press the filling inside the cuttlefish up to the rim of the sac; they should be well stuffed, and close with a toothpick.
Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
Arrange the stuffed cuttlefish.Preheat the oven.
Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 356°F for 20 minutes until golden.
* turn the cuttlefish halfway through cooking.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 larger.
In a pan heat a sprinkle of garlic powder, the chopped onion and a few parsley stalks.
Deglaze with a shot of white wine (about 1 fl oz / 30 ml).Arrange the cuttlefish in the pan and brown one minute per side, turning them gently.
Cover with tomato sauce and add enough water to rinse the sauce container.
Add a pinch of salt and grind pepper.
Let simmer with the lid on (preferably glass) and over low heat for about 20 minutes – depending on the size of the cuttlefish – until fully cooked and the sauce has reduced.Plate.
Your stuffed cuttlefish in sauce are ready.
The stuffed cuttlefish are in theory a second course.
Do not forget to account for the breadcrumb coating when calculating the total carbohydrates of your meal.
Balance by completing with preferably whole-grain carbohydrates [bread, pasta or rice] and vegetables to compose a balanced meal or one-dish meal that helps keep blood sugar stable.In honor of the traditions of the fishing village, the stuffed cuttlefish are among the dishes on St. Joseph’s table.
They are presented decorated with sprigs of parsley and lemon slices.
Storage, tips and variations
As an alternative to cuttlefish you can use squid or calamari.
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.
You can omit the cheese but you will need to increase the amount of breadcrumbs and the filling may turn out drier.
Alternatively, you can add an egg to make the stuffing softer and more cohesive.
For a more fragrant coating you can add grated lemon zest.
Cooked stuffed cuttlefish keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a couple of days.
You can reheat them in the oven or in a non-stick frying pan.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I skip the cheese?
Yes, but you will need to increase the amount of breadcrumbs and the filling may turn out drier.
Alternatively, you can add an egg to make the stuffing softer and more cohesive.Mollusks and cholesterol
In our dietary scheme, squid and calamari, octopus and cuttlefish are among the foods recommended to be eaten “occasionally”.
Indeed, although they are lean mollusks, they are a source of cholesterol and intake should be limited.
Nutritional guidelines recommend a dietary cholesterol intake below 300 mg per day, a limit that can drop to 200 mg per day in the presence of hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia.
Therefore, cuttlefish do not directly affect blood sugar but in cases of hyperglycemia, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes they should be consumed in moderation.
