Il Cucinologo
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Stewed Cuttlefish without Tomato

17/11/2023

Here’s how to prepare stewed cuttlefish without tomato, a less common variant of the traditional recipe with tomato sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg cleaned cuttlefish
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Parsley to taste
  • 1 glass white wine
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • Fish stock or water

Preparation

  1. Clean the cuttlefish by removing the innards, beak, and outer skin. Cut them into strips or pieces, according to your preference.

  2. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the whole garlic cloves, allowing them to turn golden.

  3. Once the garlic is golden, add the cuttlefish to the pan and let them brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. When the cuttlefish have taken on color, deglaze with the glass of white wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate over high heat.

  5. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes, adding a ladle of fish stock or water from time to time to keep the sauce moist.

  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the flavor of the cuttlefish intensifies with cooking.

  7. At the end of cooking, remove the garlic and add some fresh chopped parsley.

  8. Serve the cuttlefish hot with some crusty bread or, if you prefer, accompany them with polenta.

Curiosities

Stewed cuttlefish is a very versatile dish. Without the tomato, the flavor of the sea comes through more decisively, and you can fully enjoy the delicacy of the cuttlefish meat. This dish is reminiscent of old-fashioned cooking, when ingredients were enhanced in their simplicity and purity.