Anyone eating this must be aware of one thing, your mouth will be inked black and it takes some time to go.
Eating this as a child was a rarity, I’m not sure why that is, but if I concentrate hard enough I can imagine its smooth, distinctive texture. I don’t have to concentrate that hard to remember my dad’s ink stained teeth and tongue though.
If there’s any of this moorish dish left over, it’s just as yummy the following day …that’s if you get to it quick enough!
I think the funniest thing is everyone denying that they had the last bit, but look closely and the culprit will have a hint of black ink staining their lips if not their entire mouth!
Ingredients
1kg Cuttlefish
1 Cup Red Wine
1.5 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
1 Diced Onion
1 Grated Tomato (skin removed)
Method
Ask the fishmonger to clean the cattle fish and keep the ink for you.
Wash the cattle fish with cold water.
Place all the ingredients into a saucepan on a medium heat for 1 hour or until soft and tender.
Add the ink once cooked.
Tips
Give this a good rinse and a once over before slicing and cooking. I remove anything ‘jellyish’ as this can ruin the texture of the end result, including turning everything inside out!
Do not rush to remove from the stove, the cattle fish should not be tough or chewy.
Add the ink in small amounts and stir as adding all the ink at once will cause this to become very very black in colour. The ink does have a distinctive taste but it is needed.
This is a great dish to serve alongside kritharaki (orzo pasta) or even mixed together. Also works well with chips!
Cost
Cost under £25 for 2-3 persons.
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