This recipe comes from Greece and has a very silky taste because onions and baby cuttlefish melt into the mouth. The recipe is very easy to make, because of the frozen baby cuttlefish, and I imagine that with fresh cuttlefish it will also be a marvel. If at some point I start making this dish with fresh cuttlefish, I will update the recipe until then you have everything you need to enjoy it!
In two words:
"Our life was a walk without rest, and, like the wind thundering in the air, we have, without homeland, without home, crossed, like the hurricane, the world troubled by war".
difficulty – easy
preparation– 5’
cooking - 10' (pre-cooking) + 25' = 35'
serves - 2
Ingredients
- 1 + ½ medium onion
- 1 big clove of garlic
- 400gr of frozen baby cuttlefish
- 100ml of tomato puree
- 4 teaspoons of olive oil
- 65ml of strong red wine
- 200ml of hot water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon of coarse salt (or fleur de sel)
- 20 peppercorns of Kampot black pepper
- 3 allspice
Steps
- Slice onions as follows :
- cut the onion in two
- slice each part in fine vertical slices
- Handle fine slices with your fingers in order to separate them from the block
- Slice garlic in fine slices
- Heat-up a medium sauce pan
- Add the onions and stir constantly to help them evaporate their humidity
- Heat-up the oil in high heat, add the onions and stir until they become a bit brown
- Add the slices of garlic and the bay leaf and stir with a wooden spoon
- Add the frozen baby cuttlefish and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until they unfrozen
- Wait for a while until the water from the frozen baby cuttlefish evaporates a little bit
- Add the red wine and wait for a while until the alcohol evaporates a bit
- Add tomato puree and stir
- Add the hot water and stir again
- Add peppercorns, allspice and salt and stir again one last time
- Put the lid on and cook for 25’ in medium to slow heat (depending you stove)
- Check half way if you need to add water
- Serve with a bit of rice or steamed potatoes
What’s the story behind this recipe?
This dish comes Greece and it’s called soupies krasates or σουπιές κρασάτεςLiterally it means cuttlefish in wine ! I cannot say that this dish is a classic of Greek cuisine but if you find it somewhere, I highly recommend it because it is really delicious.
It was one of the first dishes I learned to cook in Greece. The original recipe, I found it in a Greek cookbook (see below) offered by a friend of mine. Here you will find the light version because, as usual, the original version has a lot of olive oil and therefore I had to come up with a tasty dish (or even better a succulent dish) but without a lot of fat.
Inspiration
Original Version
Alexiadou Vefa, Greek Cuisine, Phaidon, Paris, 2017 (*)
A few words about the author: Ms. Alexiadou modernized traditional Greek cuisine in the early 1990s and had been broadcasting on Greek TV for years. Since then, many chefs have created books and TV shows, but Ms. Alexiadou was one of the first to create cookbooks with beautiful photos and have a constant presence on TV for years.
(*) Latest Version
- Alexiadou Vefa, Vefa's Kitchen (FOOD COOK), Phaidon, New York ; London, 2009
(*) je vous mets la référence de la BNF de ce livre car en ce moment les prix sur amazon (venant des particuliers) sont exorbitants.
o-o C'est si bon ! o-o
