SLOW-COOKED CUTTLEFISH & WHITE BEANS

Serves 4

Cuttlefish – like squid, which could be used in this recipe instead – are best when cooked either very fast or very slowly. We’re going for the latter here, alongside fennel, aromatics and beans for something that becomes a cross between a stew and broth. Preparing the cuttlefish is a bit fiddly, so it is best done by the fishmonger. Ask to keep the ink sacs and freeze for later use with pastas, risotto, spelt or added into pizza or flatbread doughs. Serve with bread to soak up the juices –perhaps following the advice of Olivier Favrel at Olivier’s Bakery and go for a white sourdough.

Ingredients

650-750g cuttlefish body, wings and tentacles, prepared by the fishmonger

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions

1 fennel bulb

2 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp smoked paprika

150ml fino or manzanilla sherry

1 orange

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

300ml fish stock

500g drained weight white beans (butter beans, cannellini beans… I used a large jar of Brindisa judion butter beans)

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley

Nutmeg, for grating

Method

Slice the cuttlefish body and wings into strips approximately 1cm wide, and the tentacles into three sections. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide pan or a shallow casserole dish that can go on the hob. Peel the onion, slice into thin half-moons and cook in the hot oil for 10 mins until softening. Trim and slice the fennel and add to the pan, leaving to cook for another 5 mins. Peel and chop the garlic and add as well. Then the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and paprika go in – stir briefly for the paprika to release its colour and smell.

Mix in all the cuttlefish, followed by the sherry. Let it bubble for a minute before grating in the zest of the orange and adding the tin of tomatoes. Pour in the fish stock, if using –otherwise rinse out the tomato tin with water and add that. Stir, season, bring to a high simmer, then put a lid on, turn the heat as low as it will go and leave it to cook gently for 1 hour. Check occasionally that it isn’t bubbling too fast, or in case you need to add more water to keep the cuttlefish just about submerged.

The drained beans go in for the last 10 mins of the cooking time. Chop the parsley leaves, add to the pan and finish with a good grating of the nutmeg.

Recipe from Borough Market: The Knowledge by Angela Clutton (Hodder & Stoughton)

Shop

Cuttlefish

Shellseekers Fish & Game

Fennel Turnips

Smoked paprika

Brindisa