Cuttlefish belongs to the category of cephalopods. Unlike her relatives - squid or octopus - she has an ink bag. At the moment of danger, cuttlefish releases a thick brown liquid from it, under the veil of which it hides. And this mollusk is also called the "ocean chameleon", because it can not only change the color of the skin, but even its very structure. Moreover, cuttlefish does such metamorphoses in just a couple of seconds. In this regard, the mollusk rarely falls into the catch of fishermen and, as a result, is not often found in the restaurant menu. 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 application in cooking
Let's start in order. Shellfish, and cuttlefish in particular, are very healthy. It is not only tasty, but also a dietary product. The cuttlefish surpasses meat and even fish in useful properties, but its calories are much less. It is also rich in vitamins, especially near B, which promotes hair growth and nail strength. It also contains minerals necessary for health: selenium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, zinc, potassium and iron.
Like fish of the highest class (sturgeon, salmon), this mollusk contains valuable amino acids omega-3 and 6. And its fat is an antibiotic that nature has created, that is, it does not give side effects. Cuttlefish recipes are very common in cuisines of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Rice for Spanish paella and Italian pasta are stained with ink from this mollusk.
Product selection
In our country, cuttlefish on the shelves of supermarkets is rare. And even then they are sold frozen. But let's say you arrived at the Mediterranean market and are asking cuttlefish in the fish ranks. Which one to choose?
Cuttlefish is not strawberry, the principle "the more, the tastier" does not work here. On the contrary, dwarf mollusks weighing up to 20 g are most highly valued. A very large specimen is only suitable for an exhibit in a museum, because, no matter how hard you try, its meat will remain tough and tasteless.
We choose the purchase based on what cuttlefish dishes we are going to cook. Dwarf deep-fried whole, deep-fried, made from barbecue, salads and snacks. Small cuttlefish are valued for a special nutty flavor that disappears in larger specimens. Medium-sized clams (300-600 g) are used in main dishes. They are fried, boiled, and even eaten raw in Japan.
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. At the back of the clam is a bag. Squeeze the ink onto a plate. They will be needed later for the sauce, as they add spice to the dish. Then carefully remove the ink bag. Throw out the insides, eyes, and mouth as well. 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 turn out to be more saturated.
How to prepare a frozen product
Cuttlefish stores are often sold already processed in stores, and you don’t have to bother with bag removal and peeling. However, there are some little tricks here. How to cook frozen cuttlefish? In no case do not rush things by dipping the bag in hot water or sending in the microwave. Let the mollusks thaw at room temperature or even better in cold water. Since we are not Japanese, we will not eat cuttlefish raw. The Thais of these cephalopods, among other culinary methods, also dried, dried and smoked. We will limit ourselves to three traditional methods: cooking, roasting and stewing.
Boiled clam
Now that we have only a little body with ten tentacles on 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 put on medium heat. Dip the cuttlefish in boiling water with a whole carcass and cook. What time is it? It depends on the size of the mollusk. Large specimens need long-term heat treatment - about half an hour. Smaller ones will be cooked in 15-20 minutes. Dwarf cuttlefish are rarely boiled, but if you want to decorate the salad with them, after 10 minutes in boiling water they will be ready. In the water where the clams are boiled, you can put spices and herbs, an onion in the husk. Ready cuttlefish should be thrown into a colander and dried.
But this is only half the battle. How to cook cuttlefish to make it tasty? Cut the carcass into thin strips, sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil, decorate with greens. 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 pan, various vegetables to taste (tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic) and cuttlefish are added. Then pour the rice and keep on low heat until the liquid completely evaporates.
How to Cook Stewed Cuttlefish
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 a pound of cuttlefish cut into pieces (you can pre-boil them until half ready). Pour half a glass of white wine. Half a kilo of tomatoes we cut into pieces, mix with a chopped bunch of parsley and a clove of garlic, salt to taste, cover with a lid and simmer for about an hour.
Fried Cuttlefish Dishes
There are secrets to roasting cephalopods. You need to properly arrange them in a pan. First, heat the vegetable oil, in which pre-fry a little onion and garlic. Then we put the cuttlefish tentacles up. When the clam turns yellow, flip the other side.
Portugal has its 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 languish for 30 minutes. We heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, put the clams cut into thick strips and fry over medium heat for about 7 minutes.
Cuttlefish
They look like spiders - these are delicious shellfish that are valued above the rest. How to cook small cuttlefish? There are many recipes. For the laziest: roll crumbs in flour, and send to the pan to fry in olive oil.
The work of more working housewives will pay off handsomely if you prepare a batter for dwarf cuttlefish: shake the salted egg with water, add flour to make a batter. You can make it with the addition of beer or soda. This is a great appetizer, but it can also be a main course if served with rice.