How to cook cuttlefish. How to cook cuttlefish How to cook cuttlefish

Many seafood products were previously considered exotic and were not widely available on the domestic market. However, today even the most unusual of them have become available to the Russian consumer and are increasingly present in the daily diet. One of these products is sea cuttlefish, the meat of which is considered a valuable dietary delicacy and is distinguished by its high protein content.

Features of the view

The cuttlefish is a cephalopod with a rather unusual appearance. Five pairs of tentacles extend from the animal's dome-shaped head, and an ink sac is located at the back. In case of approaching danger, the mollusk releases a dark brown liquid from it, and, creating a smoke screen, quickly retreats. The taste of cuttlefish meat is vaguely reminiscent of squid, however, real gourmets consider it more tender and satisfying.

Despite the fact that the cuttlefish's habitat is the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the mollusk is known throughout the world and is present in the national cuisines of many countries. Great popularity and high consumer demand are due to the valuable chemical composition of shellfish meat, which contains large quantities of vitamins A, D, E, B6 and B12, as well as microelements vital for the human body. Thus, along with a high content of zinc, copper, potassium and iodine, cuttlefish meat contains an almost complete set of amino acids and a large percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

How to choose seafood?

Mollusks are supplied to domestic shelves in fresh and frozen forms. Both products are excellent for preparing dietary dishes. The only thing you should focus on when choosing is the size and age of the cuttlefish. It is advisable that the individual be small and young, as this will speed up the cooking process and guarantee a delicate consistency and excellent taste.

In addition to size, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the mollusk. His body should not have visible damage and an unpleasant pungent odor. Fresh cuttlefish has a faint odor of iodine and seaweed; it should not smell of anything foreign. Frozen shellfish do not smell of anything.

How to clean it properly?

Most often, cuttlefish is presented in Russian supermarkets in a frozen state. This is explained by the peculiarities of transportation and storage conditions of the mollusk. Therefore, before you start cutting the carcass, you need to defrost it properly. The best option is to wrap the cuttlefish in a clean waffle towel and leave at room temperature until completely thawed. It is strictly prohibited to speed up the defrosting process using hot water or a microwave. The defrosted clam is washed well and sent for cutting.

Cutting a shellfish is not difficult and can be done independently. The first step is to remove the “beak,” which is a hard, bone-like organ. Then the eyes are cut off, the mouth is removed and the cavity is cleared of entrails. Next, they get rid of the thin “wings” with film located on the sides of the carcass, after which they begin to remove the ink sac.

This manipulation should be performed with rubber gloves and try not to damage the bag itself. Otherwise, its contents will stain the skin and sink, then washing it will be very problematic.

However, in some recipes, ink is one of the main ingredients when making pasta or risotto. The only condition for their use is their freshness, so if the liquid is not planned to be prepared on the same day, then the ink bag with all its contents can be safely thrown away. It is in removing the bag that the main difficulty in cutting cuttlefish lies. Because of this, it is better for people who do not have experience in this matter to purchase a shellfish that has already been gutted and ready for cooking.

Cooking features

Each individual recipe has its own cooking rules, however, there are still general nuances of heat treatment of shellfish. So, if you plan to make a light salad from cuttlefish or cook them for a cold appetizer, then before cooking you need to remove the thin skin from them. If the shellfish is fried, it is better to preserve the shell; this will prevent excessive loss of moisture during the frying process and will contribute to a richer taste.

The cooking time for cuttlefish depends on their size. So, small young individuals will be ready in 15 minutes, while large carcasses will take at least half an hour to cook. After the seafood is cooked, it should be immediately drained in a colander or removed from the pan.

Otherwise, being in boiling water after cooking, the meat may acquire a “rubbery” effect and lose its tenderness.

Cooking recipes

Boiled cuttlefish

To prepare this dish, take 1.5 liters of water into a saucepan and put it on the fire. Then they take half a kilogram of gutted and washed shellfish, dry them with napkins and cut them into small pieces. Next, peel a medium-sized onion and cut it into four parts, after which it is added along with salt and spices to boiling water. The spices usually used are 3 bay leaves, 5 black peppercorns and a bouquet of Provençal herbs.

Then the cuttlefish are placed in the pan and simmered over low heat. The cooking time depends on how large the clam was cut. So, for small pieces, 15 minutes will be enough, and if it was decided to cook the whole carcass, it will take at least half an hour. After the specified period, the meat is removed from the pan and the broth is allowed to drain. If cuttlefish is served as a separate dish, then make the following sauce: 2 large spoons of lemon juice and the same amount of olive oil are mixed with garlic squeezed through a garlic press and pour over the dish.

Clams in wine sauce

To prepare, take 0.6 kg of shellfish, 4 cloves of garlic, 90 g of olive oil, a glass of dry white wine, salt and fresh parsley. First, heat the oil in a frying pan, add garlic cut into thin slices and fry it for 2-4 minutes. Then the garlic is removed and placed on a saucer. Next, put cuttlefish cut into medium-sized pieces into the “garlic” oil. Fry them over high heat in the open until the liquid that comes out of them has completely evaporated.

After this, pour wine into the frying pan and add a little salt. It is necessary to stew the shellfish until the wine has evaporated by 2/3 of the original volume. Then the meat is removed from the pan, placed on a dish and poured with the remaining wine sauce. Top with fried garlic cloves and chopped parsley.

Fried cuttlefish in soy sauce

To prepare this dish, take half a kilogram of shellfish, 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, vegetable oil, salt and spices. First of all, mix soy sauce, lemon juice and a tablespoon of oil. Then a little ground black pepper, dry dill, basil, parsley and a mixture of Provençal seasonings are added to the resulting mixture.

All components are thoroughly mixed, cuttlefish cut into small pieces is placed there and left for half an hour. Next, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the shellfish removed from the sauce in it. Frying time depends on the size of the pieces and the age of the cuttlefish. For thinly sliced ​​young meat, 15 minutes will be enough.

Fried cuttlefish are served as an appetizer for beer or wine, or as a separate dish.

Braised cuttlefish

For this delicious dish you will need 0.6 kg of shellfish, half a kilogram of onions, a glass of dry red wine, a handful of pine nuts, 60 g each of olive and butter, salt and spices. First of all, the wine is mixed with the contents of the cuttlefish’s ink sac, after which the mollusks themselves are placed in this solution and left for two hours.

Then put butter in a frying pan, add olive oil and heat it up. Place chopped onion in a sizzling mixture of oils, lightly fry and add pickled cuttlefish. Fry the shellfish over low heat for 10 minutes. Next, pine nuts are pounded in a mortar, mixed with the marinade that contained the shellfish before frying, and poured into a frying pan. After the brine boils, the cuttlefish is stewed for another 10 minutes, after which it is immediately served to the table, pouring the same sauce on top.

Stuffed cuttlefish in creamy sauce

To prepare such a dish at home, you will need 1 kg of shellfish, 300 g of fresh champignons, 3 onions, 250 g of grated cheese, half a liter of cream, vegetable oil. First of all, cut the mushrooms into small pieces, finely chop the onion and grate the cheese. Then heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and champignons until all the liquid has evaporated.

75 options for preparing the cuttlefish recipe step by step with photos on the website

Today I want to present to you, in my opinion, a very interesting site about Greece, which is called "My Greece". The author of this site is Elena Meteleva. She has been living in Greece for many years. He knows the life of the country, its culture, customs, and cuisine first-hand.

Here's what she writes about herself:

Hello, dear readers!

My name is Elena Meteleva, I live in sunny Greece, on the beautiful Halkidiki peninsula.

Since both Spain and Greece are Mediterranean, I decided to focus on a recipe from seafood, in this case, cuttlefish.
with spinach, very popular in Greece, I posted on my website. And on Irina’s website I will share how you can cook cuttlefish in onion sauce.

Cuttlefish in onion sauce (Supies stifado)

Russian tourists often asked me what cuttlefish is. Once upon a time, I didn’t know this either. Cuttlefish is similar to squid, but it is rounder and meatier. By the way, this recipe can also be prepared with squid if you can’t find cuttlefish.

So, we need:

• 1 kg peeled cuttlefish. If you buy fresh, ask the fish store to clean them. I don't use ink, although some people use it for risotto or pasta. If you clean cuttlefish at home, be sure to wear gloves to avoid staining your hands.
• 1 kg small onions(in Russia this is called onion sets). If there is no such onion, then you can take onions, coarsely chopped.
• 100 ml olive oil
• 100 ml dry wine
• 500 g grated tomatoes or tomato juice
• 2-3 bay leaves
• salt,
• pepper,
• sugar on the tip of a spoon
• cinnamon stick,
• 2-3 cloves

Preparation:

Cut the cuttlefish into medium pieces. We use the whole onion set; if you have onion sets, we cut it into large sections.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for a few minutes. Then add the chopped cuttlefish and simmer over medium heat, stirring until the liquid has evaporated and only the oil remains. Repay with wine.
Then add tomatoes or juice, spices, a glass of hot water to the pan and simmer over low heat under the lid for 40 minutes. Check for doneness; the cuttlefish should be soft and the sauce should thicken.

Cuttlefish is a cephalopod marine mollusk that secretes a chestnut coloring substance. Mollusks of this species live in the Atlantic Ocean, and often live in small schools. The cuttlefish's body is flat. Its shape resembles a flatbread. The taste of boiled cuttlefish meat is very similar to squid meat. Usually its mantle and tentacles are eaten. Octopus muscles contain many extractive substances that give the dish an original flavor. Cuttlefish is the richest source of suitable protein, as well as vitamins and microelements. In our country, shellfish can be purchased frozen. This delicious seafood delicacy is recommended for preparing delicious salads, soups and pizza.

You will need

• cuttlefish (2 kg);
• onions (2 kg);
• red wine (0.5 l);
• butter (50 g);
• olive oil (50 g);
• pine nuts (10 pcs.) or almonds.

Instructions

1. Carefully wash the cuttlefish and remove the black film covering them. Cut each cuttlefish along the back. Remove the long bone from the body of each mollusk, being careful not to damage the ink sac. Hold with your finger and remove the innards and ink sac. After this, remove the tentacles.

2. Take a container and pour two cups of dry red wine into it. Add cuttlefish ink to it. Stir.

3. After this, cut the cuttlefish into small pieces on a cutting board. Dip in wine. Leave to marinate overnight.

4. The next day, cut the onion into rings and fry it in a mixture of olive and butter.

5. After this, fry the cuttlefish separately over high heat. Turn down the fire. Add sauteed onions, blanched chopped almonds or pine nuts.

6. Pour the ink mixture and wine marinade over the cuttlefish. Simmer it all over low heat until soft. The cuttlefish dish is ready!

An authentic dish of black rice with mini cuttlefish, shrimp and mushrooms, prepared in sour cream and honey sauce, has a delicate taste. It’s cooler to use Venere black rice to prepare the dish.

You will need

• – 50 g of black rice venere;
• – 20 g champignons;
• – 5 shrimp;
• – 2 mini cuttlefish;
• – onions, garlic to taste;
• - parsley.
• For the sauce:
• – 50 g sour cream 20%;
• – 20 ml of water;
• – 5 ml honey;
• – freshly ground coriander.

Instructions

1. Boil the rice for 18 minutes, place it in a sieve. You can take boiled and frozen tiger shrimp, chop them, sprinkle with lime juice and fry in butter. Or take more small shrimp, boil, peel, and add whole shrimp to the rice.

2. Add chopped parsley to the rice and shrimp. Fry the champignons in vegetable oil, add garlic and onion. After 5 minutes, add cuttlefish, cut randomly.

3. Separately mix sour cream with water, coriander and honey. If you add a little soy sauce, it will be even more piquant. Don’t overdo it with honey – the sauce should be appetizing, not cloying. Honey helps remove the sourness from sour cream. No one will even guess that you prepared such a delicious sauce from ordinary sour cream.

4. Place black rice on a plate. Mix mushrooms and shrimp with sour cream sauce, pepper and salt to taste. Spread this mixture around the rice. You can sprinkle grated cheese on top of the dish.

5. By the way, you can experiment with this recipe. Instead of black rice, you can take ordinary buckwheat - a good Russian product, and instead of cuttlefish - fish or chicken. Tea in your kitchen, only you can decide what to use to prepare culinary masterpieces!

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Tip 3: The best cuttlefish dishes and recipes for their preparation

Cuttlefish are cephalopods that live in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Dishes made from this seafood are considered not only authentic and appetizing, but also suitable. This is due to the fact that cuttlefish contains up to 80% protein and every 1% fat. Shellfish are famous in Mediterranean and South Asian cuisines.

Most cuttlefish are sold frozen, so they need to be thawed before cooking. This must be done at room temperature. When the clam is soft, rinse it under cold water, remove the shell bone that runs along each back, cut off the head, remove the entrails. Remove the ink bag very carefully and squeeze its contents into a separate cup in advance. If you need cuttlefish to prepare an appetizer or salad, remove the skin from them; if for a second dish, leave the shell; during cooking it will give an intense taste. Cook the seafood in salted boiling water for about 30 minutes. After cooking, place in a colander to drain every liquid.

Stuffed cuttlefish

To prepare the dish, prepare 100 g of fresh champignons, 500 g of boiled cuttlefish, 2 onions, 250 ml of 35% cream, 100 g of hard cheese 100, salt, seasonings. Wash and chop the champignons, fry in vegetable oil with finely chopped onion. Salt and add spices to taste. Grate the cheese on a huge grater and add to the mushrooms. Stuff the prepared cuttlefish with mushroom mixture, place in a greased frying pan, pour whipped cream over everything, and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a side dish of boiled rice and slices of fresh tomatoes.

Risotto with cuttlefish and ink

For this exotic dish, take 200 g of steamed long grain rice, cuttlefish weighing approximately 400 g, 8 ml of clam ink, 2 onions, 100 ml of dry white wine, salt, spices, liter of fish broth, 50 ml of unrefined olive oil. In a deep frying pan. Heat the oil, add the diced onion, fry until it becomes transparent. Wash the defrosted cuttlefish, remove the entrails, cut into small pieces, add to the onion, and fry until golden brown. Sort the rice, rinse in salted water, place in a frying pan with seafood, simmer until the cereal has absorbed all the oil. Add salt, add your favorite spices, pour wine over everything, continue cooking over high heat until the liquid evaporates. Reduce the heat, add ink, broth (boiled water) so that it covers the cereal by about a centimeter. Cover with a lid and cook until the rice is done. Serve warm with a salad of fresh vegetables.

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The belemnite stone is a fossilized invertebrate cephalopod that went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago. Such stones can consist entirely of the mineral calcite, or can be replaced by transparent opal.

During the existence of life on earth, many species of living organisms ceased to exist. Such organisms include belemnites - invertebrate cephalopods. However, people have the opportunity to explore and trace the history of their formation from fossilized remains that come to the surface in different parts of the world.

Structure and composition of stones

Belemnites existed on the planet from the Carboniferous to the Paleogene periods. They were close relatives of modern squids and cuttlefish and also had an ink sac. Their difference from modern descendants was their special body structure. In particular, the inner shell had three sections: rostrum, flagmocone and proostracum. The bodies of dead mollusks settled to the bottom of the sea, where their solid components, namely a strong conical formation at the rear end of the body, underwent mineralization. In the future, the place of the rostrum was entirely occupied by the mineral calcite, which managed to perfectly preserve the shape of the shell during the 100–200 million years that have passed since their life. Belemnites have the appearance of an elongated arrowhead, for which they received a number of other names, such as “ thunder arrow", "devil's finger" and "arrows of Perun". Belemnites are found in places where the surface of the earth is covered with layers of Mesozoic sedimentary-marine deposits. The largest number of stones lies in black Jurassic clays. Fossils of ancient mollusks can range from unsightly gray to dark cherry and even black. In Australia, belemnites are found replaced by charming transparent opals.

Magical properties of stones

In ancient times, belemnites were credited with a lot of different magical properties. It was believed that they were able to divert lightning from houses and neutralize snake venom. Even today there are people who offer to treat psoriasis, impotence and wounds with the help of belemnite powder. There were also attempts to wear belemnite on the body as a protective device and amulet, as well as a source of vital energy and internal strength. Astrologers also endow ancient fossils with a lot of useful properties, and esotericists believe that this stone is the best suited for people born in a thunderstorm. Whether to believe in the magical properties of belemnites or not, everyone decides for himself. But it must be said that scientific medicine knows nothing about the ability of belemnites to relieve various diseases. However, the cost of some stones is comparable to the prices for the most expensive gems, and the demand for jewelry with this stone does not fall to this day. ?

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Pay attention!
Ink can also be purchased in packaging. They are prepared for one-time use.

Useful advice
It is best to defrost cuttlefish in cold water, then rinse under running water. In order to cut a cuttlefish without spilling the ink, the following rules are needed: 1) Lay the cuttlefish on a work surface and use a knife to separate the head. 2) Cut off the tentacles right at the eyes, but so that they remain connected to each other with another thin ring. 3) Use your fingers to squeeze out and remove the harsh parts of the chewing unit. 4) Cut the body bursa along the upper, darker side of the back with a longitudinal cut of a knife. 5) Carefully push the edges of the cut to the sides in order to remove the shell, which is called the mantle. In the back, tight part of the cuttlefish's body there is a sparkling ink sac.6) Insert a huge finger inside the mantle and carefully separate the insides without damaging the ink sac.7) Gently squeeze out the ink, slowly pressing the bag with your huge and index fingers.8) Remove with your fingers skin from the body bag and rinse it thoroughly under running cold water.

Unlike its relatives - squid or octopus - it has an ink sac. At the moment of danger, the cuttlefish releases a thick brown liquid from it, under the veil of which it hides. This mollusk is also called the “chameleon of the ocean,” because it can not only change the color of the skin, but even its very structure. Moreover, the cuttlefish performs such metamorphoses in just a couple of seconds. In this regard, the mollusk is rarely caught by fishermen and, as a result, is not often found in the world. But if you are lucky enough to become the owner of this delicious exotic, let's think about what to cook from cuttlefish.

Useful properties and uses in cooking

Let's start in order. Shellfish, and cuttlefish in particular, are very healthy. This is not only tasty, but also a dietary product. In terms of beneficial properties, cuttlefish surpasses meat and even fish, but it contains much fewer calories. It is also rich in vitamins, especially B, which promotes hair growth and strong nails. It also contains minerals necessary for health: selenium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, zinc, potassium and iron.

Like high-class fish (sturgeon, salmon), this shellfish contains valuable amino acids omega-3 and 6. And its fat is an antibiotic created by nature, that is, it does not give side effects. cuttlefish are very common in the cuisines of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Ink from this mollusk is used to color rice for Spanish paella and Italian pasta.

Product selection

In our country, cuttlefish are rarely found on supermarket shelves. And even then they are sold frozen. But let’s say you arrive at a Mediterranean market and are asking the price of cuttlefish in the fish aisles. Which one to choose?

Cuttlefish is not a strawberry; the principle “the more, the tastier” does not work here. On the contrary, it is the dwarf mollusks, weighing up to 20 g, that are most highly valued. And a very large specimen is only suitable for an exhibit in a museum, since no matter how hard you try, its meat will remain tough and tasteless.

We choose a purchase based on what kind of cuttlefish dishes we are going to cook. Dwarfs are deep-fried whole and made into kebabs, salads and snacks. Small cuttlefish are prized for their distinctive nutty aroma, which disappears in larger specimens. Medium-sized shellfish (300-600 g) are used in main dishes. They are fried, boiled, and in Japan they are even eaten raw.

What to do first

Before cooking cuttlefish, you need to rinse it under cold water and remove the only bone that runs along the entire back. There is a sac at the back of the mollusk. Squeeze the ink onto the plate. They will be needed later for the sauce, as they add piquancy to the dish. Then carefully remove the ink sac. Also discard the innards, eyes and mouth opening. If you intend to boil cuttlefish, you must first remove the skin, and when frying or stewing, it is best to leave the skin - the taste of the dish will be more intense.

How to prepare frozen food

In stores, cuttlefish are often sold already processed, and you won't have to bother with removing the bag and peeling off the skin. However, there are some little tricks here too. How to cook frozen cuttlefish? Under no circumstances should you rush things by putting the bag in hot water or putting it in the microwave. Let the clams defrost at room temperature, or even better, in cold water. Since we are not Japanese, we will not eat cuttlefish raw. Cephalopods, among other culinary methods, are also dried, dried and smoked. We will limit ourselves to three traditional techniques: boiling, frying and stewing.

Boiled shellfish

Now that we only have a body with ten tentacles left in our hands, we can think about how to cook cuttlefish. For salads and appetizers, it is boiled, and soups are prepared from the broth. Pour water into a saucepan, salt it and place on medium heat. Place the whole cuttlefish in boiling water and cook. How much time? It depends on the size of the mollusk. Large specimens require long-term heat treatment - about half an hour. Smaller ones will cook in 15-20 minutes. Dwarf cuttlefish are rarely boiled, but if you want to decorate a salad with them, they will be ready after 10 minutes in boiling water. You can put spices and herbs, an onion in its husk, into the water where the shellfish are boiled. The finished cuttlefish should be placed in a colander and dried.

But that's only half the battle. How to cook cuttlefish to make it delicious? Cut the carcass into thin strips, sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil, and garnish with herbs. As a side dish for boiled cuttlefish, you can serve rice or pasta seasoned with ink. They are added to the dough if you knead the vermicelli yourself.

For paella, ink mixed with wine is poured into a frying pan, various vegetables to taste (tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, garlic) and cuttlefish are added. Then pour in the rice and cook over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.

How to cook cuttlefish stew

In the Mediterranean, it is customary to stew shellfish in white wine. In a frying pan in olive oil, fry the onion until golden. Add half a kilo of cuttlefish cut into pieces (you can pre-boil them until half cooked). Pour half a glass of white wine. Cut half a kilo of tomatoes into pieces, mix with a chopped bunch of parsley and a clove of garlic, add salt to taste, cover with a lid and simmer for about an hour.

Fried cuttlefish dishes

Frying cephalopods has its own secrets. You need to arrange them correctly in the pan. First, heat up the vegetable oil, in which we first fry a little onion and garlic. Then we place the cuttlefish with the tentacles facing up. When the clam turns yellow, turn it over to the other side.

Portugal has its own favorite recipe for fried cuttlefish. At the beginning of the process, prepare the marinade. Pour 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and a spoonful of oil into a plate. Sprinkle with aromatic herbs to taste - dry or fresh, mix. In the resulting marinade, cuttlefish (about half a kilogram) should simmer for 30 minutes. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the shellfish cut into thick strips and fry over medium heat for about 7 minutes.

Baby cuttlefish

They look like spiders - these delicious mollusks that are valued above the rest. How to cook baby cuttlefish? There are many recipes. For the laziest: roll the crumbs in flour and send them to a frying pan to fry in olive oil.

The work of more hard-working housewives will pay off handsomely if you prepare a batter for dwarf cuttlefish: shake a salted egg with water, add flour to make a batter. You can also prepare it with the addition of beer or sparkling water. This is a great appetizer, but can also be a main dish if served with rice.