A fantastic recipe for cuttlefish stew with spring onions in a tomato sauce. A priceless fisherman’s secret!
My father doesn’t cook. He loves food, he almost lives for eating, but he doesn’t go to the kitchen that often. My mother is an excellent cook so he relies on her.
There is only meal that he loves cooking and he is proud of it. Cuttlefish stew, a recipe he learned from one of his friends, a fisherman. Being retired, he has time to wait for the boats to come to the dock and buy his fresh fish.
This is why most of his friends now are fishermen and his stories focus on what they ate in a small tavern in my mum’s village. I have to admit, I envy him.
The cuttlefish recipe is simple. As with most things in this universe, beauty lies in the simplicity. And this stew is delicious!
Many of you may have no idea what a cuttlefish is. You may think of it as a cousin of calamari (or squid). They have similar texture but I personally find cuttlefish a bit tastier. I am not sure if it’s easy to find cuttlefish where you live. A good alternative would be fresh calamari. But it’s not the same.
Fresh ingredients have a key role in this recipe. Starring roles are fresh tomatoes and ~ 30 spring onions. A glass of white wine is a must!
I visited my parents a few weeks ago and asked my father to cook it for me. My wish was his command. So, it’s not my recipe but rather a fisherman’s secret from a small village in Greece.
It was about time to be shared with the rest of the world.
Just make sure you have some nice bread to dip it in the sauce. Orgasmic!
- 1 kg (35 oz) cuttlefish cut in small chunks (~ 2 inches long).
- 2-3 sweet and ripe tomatoes.
- ~ 30 spring onions cut in large pieces (together with the green parts).
- 1 onion coarsely chopped.
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
- A generous pinch of oregano.
- 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (maybe a bit more).
- ½ cup of white wine.
- 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper.
- Add the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat and start cooking the onion until it starts getting soft.
- Add the cuttlefish pieces. Use a wooden spoon to stir from time to time. Let the cuttlefish release its juices, ~ 15 minutes.
- Add the wine, stir well and let the alcohol evaporate, ~ 5 minutes.
- Use a blender and create a smooth paste from the fresh tomatoes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the fresh tomato paste, 1 cup of water, paprika, oregano, concentrated tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover the pot and let it cook for ~ 1 hour.
- Try the cuttlefish to check if it’s cooked enough (it should melt in your mouth). If not, add a bit of water, stir well and continue cooking for some more.
- Add the spring onions, stir well and let them cook until they get soft and easy to eat (~ 15 minutes).
- Enjoy with fresh bread and a large piece of Feta by the side.
- Bon appetit!
Thank you for posting recipe. I will make it just as you wrote it soon (Btw: it’s somewhat reminiscent of a recipe known here in San Francisco: Cioppino fisherman stew. )