CUTTLEFISH WITH POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS - SIPIA AMB PATATES I MONGETA TENDRA

This is a very traditional Catalan dish that it is usually served with peas instead of green beans and even sometimes with artichokes. A bit of dark chocolate added to the sauce, helps with the thickening and the colour. Each family seems to have their own recipe. I added the chillies and the extra garlic cloves to this recipe. In Catalonia cuttlefish is quite expensive nowadays, but in the past, that wasn't the case and therefore it was considered 'peasant' food. Many fishermen would cook it on the boats to have a nice meal. Some people add a bit of all i oli on top before serving. It's certainly a very delicious dish and the sauce was amazing.

Ingredients

2 big cuttlefish

600g red pontiac potatoes

250g green beans

4 onions

3 tomatoes

2 whole Chilli Bird’s Eye

1,200 ml fish stock

5 sprigs of parsley

1 garlic bulb

1 handful of toasted almonds

2 garlic cloves, extra

15-20g dark chocolate, grated

a good dash of brandy

extras virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

Method

Clean the cuttlefish, and cut it into bite-sized pieces and sauté them in a saucepan with extra virgin olive oil. When they start to kick, take them out and reserve.

Chop the onion and cook it in the same pan, stirring often until you get a nice brown colour.

Add the garlic bulb cut in half horizontally, together with 2 tablespoons of cuttlefish spleen and a little water. Let it simmer under low heat for a while.

Grate the tomatoes over a colander to avoid the seeds. Add the pulp to the pan.

When the tomatoes lose color, add the reserved cuttlefish and, when the juice is absorbed, turn up the heat and add a splash of brandy. Stir it well and let the alcohol evaporate.

Add the potatoes, peeled and cut to medium size. Pour in the boiling fish stock, along with the whole parsley sprigs, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

Add a bit of salt in a mortar and mash the almonds and the extra garlic cloves. Once they have the consistency of a paste, add the grated chocolate, chop everything together and add it to the pan. Shake the pan for a while so that the sauce starts to bind and thicken.

Cut the beans into very thin strips and add them to the pan; let it cook for about 3 more minutes. Check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper if necessary.

Chop some parsley leaves and add them to the pan before serving. (I forgot to do that!)

Serves 4

Note:

Being a stew, it's best to let it sit for a minimum of 6 hours so it's at its best. You can make the recipe the day before and just reheat before serving.

Here is a link to see the video of the recipe where you can see how the cuttlefish are cleaned and also where the spleen is in the fish.

I have tried to add English subtitles and it worked, but once I have saved it here they disappeared and now has Catalan subtitles. It is easy to change it by choosing to watch the video on YouTube and then going to settings and clicking Subtitles: Catalan to English.

Comments

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much. Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and ...

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb. If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Pla...

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad. My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!! Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriande...

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚 Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'. Place these in an earthenware oven dish. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic. Mix up well, add your white wine. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop th...

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c...

HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

Search This Blog