Seppie: Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are my favorites among the large tentacled mollusks; they have more body than squid, which makes them (I feel) better suited to being stuffed, and are tenderer than octopus. They also have good-sized ink sacks, and while the ink was in the past used to make ink for writing or drawing (hence the same of the color sepia), it is now a very nice addition to pasta sauces or risotto.

Freshly caught cuttlefish retain their perfect freshness for up to 36 hours, which means that if you buy one off the boat in the morning, it will still be as good the next day (though I wouldn't push it further). Cuttlefish also freeze well.

Supermarket or frozen cuttlefish are often cleaned, via a slice up the side of the animal. If you instead buy fresh from the fishmonger, ask that the bone and guts be removed via the head, which will leave the body intake and easier to stuff. Keep the ink sack, but discard the beak and the eyes.

If you have cuttlefish in summer, one of the nicest ways to cook them is on the grill:

Grilled Cuttlefish, or Sepe Roste

To serve 4:
2 1/4 pounds (1 k) medium-small sized cuttlefish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
The juice of a lemon
A clove of garlic and a small bunch of parsley, minced (optional)

If the fishmonger hasn't already cleaned the cuttlefish, do so (see instructions if need be), discarding the beaks, eyes, and other internal organs other than the ink sacks, which will be good for pasta, and the bones, which caged birds like to chew on (jam the bone between the bars of the cage).

Unless the cuttlefish are quite small, you will want to marinate them for an hour in olive oil and lemon juice, seasoning the mixture with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, fire up your grill (you could also heat a griddle over the stove, but because of the smoke, I prefer to cook fish outside).

Shake the fish dry and grill them over high heat for 3-5 minutes, turning them a couple of times.

Serve them at once, with a drizzle of good olive oil, or, if you'd rather, a drizzle of olive oil combined with minced garlic and parsley.

Cuttlefish on About:
Soupies Krasates: Cuttlefish in Wine
Black Cuttlefish Venetian Style

How to Select Fresh Fish
Octopus, Squid, Cuttlefish...