Sepia (aka Cuttlefish) Recipes
Many recipes for cuttlefish focus on techniques to overcome the dense muscular structure with connective tissue needed if you are an animal with no bones but can move in all directions. The To-Table sepia have been tenderized which makes them easier to cook and less likely to have a rubbery texture.
On the product page for Sepia at To-Table, chef Asher's favorite preparations are listed and should be carefully considered. Otherwise, grilling, sautéing, or using in stew or soups are good choices.
Sepia is a favorite in Spain, sizzled in olive oil until browned and delicious. Somewhat similar to calamari, sepia (cuttlefish) are meatier, with a rich fresh flavor and almost no fishiness. Our sepia are harvested in Spain, cleaned and flash frozen for the freshest cuttlefish you can find!
The classic way to cook sepia (sometimes called choco) is to score the surface in a crisscross and throw it on a hot griddle with plenty of olive oil. The fresh white cuttlefish will start to sizzle and brown within a few minutes. After about ten minutes, the sepia will be golden on the edges and ready to eat.
Blend a few tablespoons of parsley, two garlic cloves and a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a blender and add to the hot griddle or pan for a minute or two, then pour over the hot sepia. Wonderful!
Cuttlefish can also be added to your favorite paella recipe, or they are delicious on the grill. However you prefer them, you won’t be disappointed with these clean, fresh sepia from Spain!
Grilled Sepia (from Bouqui at Electric-Domestic)
- 500 g. (ca. 1 lb.) whole sepia or calamari, cleaned
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- zest & juice of 1/2 orange
- zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. of dried chili flakes
- coarse sea salt
- fresh oregano and lemon wedges for garnish
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, cumin, orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and thyme in a bowl.
- Place seafood in the bowl and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for an hour or two.
- Remove from the fridge and return to room temperature.
- Preheat grill to high. Clean and oil the grill before grilling.
- Remove the seafood from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Season the seafood with coarse sea salt.
- Grill until done, ca. 3 minutes per side.
- Serve with fresh oregano and lemon wedges to garnish.
- Prep time does not include marination time.
- My suggestion: Serve with a greek salad made of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red onions, feta cheese and kalamata olives, tossed with a vinaigrette dressing made with fresh oregano and red wine vinegar.
CuttleFish with Garlic Aioli Sauce appetizer (Miriam Garcia of Honest Cooking)
- ½ head cuttlefish, clean
- Virgin olive oil
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 whole medium egg and 1 yolk
- 1 cup virgin olive oil
- First to the aioli: wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil and roast in the oven preheated to 170ºC (340ºF) half an hour or till tender. Let cool and peel.
- Mash the roasted garlic with the salt in a mortar. Transfer the mash to a food processor or blender, add the egg and yolk and mix thoroughly.
- Measure the oil. Turn on the blender or processor at medium-low speed and start pouring the oil in a tiny steady stream, until you finish all the oil. Transfer the aioli to a container and set aside.
- Preheat a heavy skillet. Cut the cuttlefish head (all but tentacles) in bite-sized pieces and brush them with olive oil. When the skillet is hot, place the cuttlefish pieces to grill. They won't need longer than 1-2 minutes per side, in fact overcooking them yields a tough rubbery cuttlefish.
- When done, serve them immediately with a bowl of aioli on the side.
Cuttlefish and Bergamot (orange) Polenta
Ingredients-
6 fresh cuttlefish
-
1 tbsp olive oil
-
1 white onion, finely chopped
-
1 chilli, chopped
-
8-10 sage leaves, finely chopped
-
125ml/4fl oz white wine
-
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
250g/9oz polenta
-
4 tbsp chopped parsley
-
1 bergamot orange, juice and zest, a few slices of flesh reserved
-
1 lemon, zest only
-
1 red chilli, finely chopped, for garnish
- Add a little oil to a hot pan and gently fry the onions, chilli and sage. Add the reserved skin of the cuttlefish and the wine. Simmer until the volume of liquid is reduced by half. Take out the skin and set aside.
-
In the meantime, cut the cuttlefish into very fine strips (julienne) and add to the sauce.
-
Add a tablespoon of ink to the sauce, stir and add a little more, if necessary, until you are happy with the colour and flavour. Cook for an hour over a low heat.
-
In the meantime, bring 1.25 litres/2 pints water to the boil, add the olive oil and polenta and cook until soft. Take the sauce off the heat and add the chopped parsley, bergamot juice and zest.To serve, spoon the polenta in the centre of serving plates and top with the cuttlefish. Dot some sauce around the plate and garnish with the chopped red chilli, lemon zest and the flesh from the bergamot.