Tag: Squid Ink

SEPPIE IN UMIDO CON POLENTA (Cuttlefish or Squid With Black Ink And Polenta from Trieste)

In Australia squid and cuttlefish is often sold interchangeably.
Both squid and cuttlefish have the potential to contain ink sacs in their bodies, but cuttlefish seems to contain more ink and is preferred for ‘black ink’ dishes in Italy, especially in coastal towns around the Adriatic.  As you can see in the photo seppie are often covered with ink when they are sold.

Squid can be as well, but rarely have I seen this in Australia (we like things clean and white!)

This photo was taken by my nephew very recently in the fish market in Venice. They are seppie (cuttlefish).  Fresche means fresh, senza sabbia means without sand in Italian.

If you have ever cleaned squid or cuttlefish you may have found a pea like swelling filled with black ink in some of the cavities, but some come with an empty ink bladder. If you have ever fished for squid, the moment you try to lift them out of the water, most squid will squirt a cloud of dark brown ink in their attempt to get away.

The ink is not harmful to eat (It was once used as the artist’s pigment, sepia).

You may need to buy ink separately – you will need 3-6 ink sacs for this recipe.

Polenta2-300x198

In Venice and in Trieste seppie are cooked in umido (braised) in wine and in their own ink and served with polenta (a very popular dish). As a child living in Trieste this was my favourite dish, especially when served with left over fried polenta. In Triestino (dialect from Trieste) they are called sepe in umido co la polenta –this dish is still very popular in the trattorie in Trieste, many of them are found in Trieste vecchia (the old part of Trieste).

The seppie in umido become the dressing for the polenta (popular in the north of Italy, by many eaten more often than pasta and preferred to pasta).

INGREDIENTS
cuttlefish or squid, 2k
white onion, sliced thinly
parsley, ½ bunch, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic, 2 cloves, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup
dry white wine, ¾ cup

 

PROCESSES

Clean cuttlefish or squid: discard the eyes and beaks, separate heads from bodies and, cut off tentacles and set aside. Pull out hard transparent cartilage from bodies and discard. Cut bodies lengthwise to open and carefully remove the ink sacs and set aside. Remove and discard entrails. Rinse cuttlefish or squid under cold running water.
Slice fish and tentacles into large strips (they will shrink).
Heat oil in a large pan with lid over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic and sauté till golden. Add cuttlefish and reserved tentacles and sauté, add parsley and keep on stirring for about 10 mins.
Add wine and evaporate for a few minutes.
Mix the ink sacs in ½ cup of water, press on the ink sacs with the back of a spoon on the side of the cup to break the skin and release the black ink.
Add the water and ink to the braise.
Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fish is very tender for about 30 mins.
If there is too much liquid, uncover pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Serve with plain polenta – no cheese, no milk. Traditional polenta is made with plain water.

POLENTA

There is instant polenta and original polenta. Instructions for cooking it are generally on the packet.Generally the ratio is 1 ½ cups yellow polenta to 4 cups water, salt to taste.Original polenta will take about 30 minutes.
PROCESSES
In a heavy saucepan sift the cornmeal into the pan with water and salt. On medium eat bring to the boil. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon with a long handle. Reduce the heat to low. You will need to stir constantly until the polenta is smooth and thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Pour out the polenta onto a wooden board and with a spatula, shape it into a round shape (to resemble a cake) and allow it to rest 10 minutes.
Cut the polenta into thick slices, place one slice on each plate and top with the seppie in umido.
Slices of left over polenta taste wonderful fried in extra virgin olive oil. The surface of the polenta will develop a crosta (a golden brown crust). Delightful!!
pasta with black inkJPG

For the Sicilian version of Pasta with Black ink sauce see earlier post:

MONTALBANO’S PASTA WITH BLACK INK SAUCE

Fans of the television series Inspector Montalbano are often captivated not only by the beauty of the Sicilian landscape, but also by the abundance of traditional Sicilian dishes that appear in almost every episode. Andrea Camilleri, the creator of the Montalbano novels, filled his stories with food references, knowing that Sicilian cuisine is inseparable from Sicilian culture.

Montalbano, Food and Sicily

Commissario Salvo Montalbano lives in the south-east of Sicily, near Marina di Ragusa, where many of my relatives have their holiday houses. His now-famous seaside house is in Punta Secca, a small fishing village in the comune of Santa Croce Camerina. In the series, Montalbano often sits on his terrace overlooking the sea, enjoying whatever Adelina—his devoted housekeeper and cook—has prepared for him.

Food is not merely fuel for Montalbano. He savours every dish with appreciation and gratitude. Meals help him think, reflect, and plan his next moves. He accepts invitations readily, has favourite trattorie, and resents interruptions at dinner. Camilleri describes almost every dish Montalbano eats, and many of them are regional staples of south-eastern Sicily.

Among these dishes, one appears repeatedly: pasta (or rice) with black ink sauce.

Southeastern Sicily: Where Books and TV Meet

Although Camilleri lived and worked in Rome, he spent many years in Sicily and was born in Porto Empedocle. Many of the places in the Montalbano series carry fictional names but are easily recognisable. For example:

  • Marinella, the location of Montalbano’s seaside home, is really Punta Secca.
  • Vigàta corresponds to Porto Empedocle.
  • Fiacca is Sciacca.
  • Fela is Gela.
  • Montelusa is Agrigento.
Montalbanos-beach-house_0168-300x201
Montalbano’s beach house is in Punta Secca.

 

Sicilian-080-Ravioli-w-Black-Ink
Riicotta ravioli with black ink sauce.Photos of Ravioli and Pasta are by Graeme Gilles, stylist Fiona Rigg, from my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

The police station shown in the TV series is a real building in Ragusa Ibla, and many of the trattorie featured in the show proudly serve pasta (or risu) cu niuru di sicci—Sicilian pasta with cuttlefish or squid ink.

The police station in Montalbano’TV series is a building in Ragusa Ibla
Pasta with black ink sauce

On one of my trips to Sicily, I ate in trattorie in Palermo frequently visited by Camilleri and his friend, the Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia. It seems clear that pasta or rice with black ink was one of Camilleri’s favourite dishes, appearing in several of the Montalbano novels. In Siracusa, I once enjoyed ricotta ravioli dressed with black ink—an unforgettable flavour.

Recipe: Pasta (or Risu) cu Niuru di Sicci — Pasta with Black Ink Sauce

This classic Sicilian dish is simple but deeply flavoured, relying on the sweetness of tomatoes, the richness of squid ink, and the tender bite of squid or cuttlefish.

Ingredients

  • 500 g pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini)
  • 600 g squid or cuttlefish, plus 2–3 ink sacs (or use jarred nero di seppia from Italian supermarkets)
  • 300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 medium onion and/or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley
  • Salt (a little)
  • Chili flakes or freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Grated pecorino or fresh ricotta, to serve (optional)
Method

  1. Prepare the squid:
    Clean carefully and extract the ink sacs if using fresh ink. Cut the squid into 1 cm rings and set aside. Tentacles can be included.

  2. Make the sauce:
    Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, parsley, salt, white wine, and tomato paste. Simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens.

  3. Cook the pasta.

  4. Add the ink:
    Stir the squid ink into the sauce along with chili flakes or pepper. Mix well.

  5. Cook the squid:
    Add the squid rings and cook over medium–high heat until just tender—a few minutes only.
    Italians often prefer squid cooked longer: add a splash of water, cover, and braise until soft.

  6. Serve:
    Toss the pasta with the sauce. Finish with grated pecorino or a spoonful of ricotta.
    (If using ricotta, add it on top—mixing it through will turn it grey.)

Regional Variations

Sicilian cooking is incredibly local, and variations on this dish appear from town to town:

  • Keep the squid white:
    Sauté separately in olive oil with garlic and parsley. Fold gently through the dressed pasta and reserve a few pieces to place on top.

  • Add peas:
    Stir in 1 cup of shelled peas along with the tomatoes.

  • Add bay leaves:
    Include 1–2 bay leaves when adding the squid.

  • Two-tone presentation:
    Reserve a small amount of the tomato sauce and serve the black pasta with a spoon of red sauce and a spoon of ricotta on top.

This part of Sicily is deeply proud of its culinary heritage, and Montalbano’s Pasta with Black Ink Sauce remains one of the most iconic dishes associated with both the books and the TV adaptation. If you find yourself travelling through Ragusa, Scicli, or Marina di Ragusa, you will have no trouble finding a trattoria ready to serve it.

LINK also contains photos of the SE part of Sicily where the the TV series and books are set:

MONTALBANO’S FAVOURITE DISHES

RICOTTA RAVIOLI and STONE GROUND FLOUR