Generality
The cuttlefish they are sea molluscs that boast a notable commercial and gastronomic value. They belong to Decapod cephalopods and fall into the family of Sepiidae, which in turn includes three different kinds of cuttlefish: Metasepia, Sepia And Sepiella.
Cuttlefish colonize the whole planet; those of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean belong to the Species Sepia officinalis.
It is not uncommon that when buying cuttlefish, for gastronomic reasons, small foreign specimens are chosen; in this case they are almost always species belonging to the Genus Sepiella (eg. S. inermis - Indian Ocean).
Cuttlefish (Species S. officinalis, which we will talk about in the following article) they live almost the whole year on depths of about 30-40m and, only in spring, they approach the coast to mate and lay their eggs (in clusters, black, globose and gelatinous).
The cuttlefish reach different sizes depending on the habitat they colonize; not surprisingly, large differences are observed between the cuttlefish of the Mediterranean Sea (of which the smallest, which reach 25-35cm in length, belong to the Adriatic Sea) and the cuttlefish from the Atlantic Ocean (where some specimens reach 90-120cm in length). NB. The information relating to the MAXIMUM size of cuttlefish varies according to bibliographic sources but, what is certain, is that the cuttlefish of the Atlantic Ocean can reach length and weight even 300-400% higher than the specimens of the Mediterranean Sea (in particular way compared to those of the Adriatic Sea).
Out of the water, on the back, the cuttlefish take on a brown brindle color in black, while on the belly they appear pale, pearly white, with green and pink reflections; in the water, the cuttlefish make use of an "active camouflage" system that seems function by i visual memories of the animal (not surprisingly, cuttlefish are considered some of the most intelligent invertebrates on the planet). Dead cuttlefish lose the ability to blend in and tend to fade to a yellowish-pink color, but should not be confused with cuttlefish "peeled" which are totally white.
The cuttlefish are oval in shape and morphologically they are composed of two fairly distinct segments: the body and the head. The body of the cuttlefish is surrounded by a lamellar fin which they use to move forward and to change direction, while inside it contains "the" cuttlefish bone ", the viscera, the gonads and possibly the eggs, and the" cuttlefish ink " "(ink used as a defensive mechanism). The head of the cuttlefish is very voluminous and houses a brain of considerable size, wrapped in a structure of connective tissue; the eyes are positioned on the sides of the head while the mouth is in the center and forward (similar to a W-shaped "beak"). Around the oral cavity are distributed 10 legs equipped with suckers, 8 of which are tentacles while 2 act as prehensile appendages necessary for predation. The cuttlefish feed on fish, crustaceans and others clams.
Giant Cuttlefish Salad
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Curiosity
Cuttlefish are molluscs of which different parts of the body are used. First, we specify that to carry out a "comfortable" cleaning of fresh cuttlefish it is VERY useful that they are placed in the freezer for a few hours. A semi-freezing causes hardening of the flesh and ink, which allows the animal to be easily peeled and eviscerated without the pouch with the black pigment cutting (or exploding) staining anything. An advisable procedure for cleaning the animals. cuttlefish is as follows:
- Pre-freezing
- Elimination of the lamellar fin and skin
- Elimination of eyes, mouth and cuttlefish bone
- If necessary, separate the body and head
- On the back, where "there was" the bone, make an accurate incision with the scissors and remove the viscera TAKING CARE not to break the ink pouch.
NB. Personally I do not recommend removing the skin from the head; it is a "particularly painstaking and, ultimately, relatively necessary operation.
The body, head, lamellar fin, female gonads, premature eggs (transparent and small like rice grains) and ink are used for food purposes; The cuttlefish bone, on the other hand, is a useful product as a supplement of amino acids and mineral salts in the breeding of some avian species in cages.
The body and head of the small cuttlefish are ideal for making grilled or baked skewers; the body of large cuttlefish is more suitable for boiling (cooked whole and then sliced) for the preparation of warm salads or Catalan (but it is also excellent fried). The head with the relative tentacles and the lamellar fin of the large specimens are delicious if inserted among the ingredients of seafood risotto, while the cuttlefish ink, appropriately extracted from the fresh and placed in small containers (also storable in the freezer) is an ingredient excellent for: the production of black pasta, the composition of black sauces accompanying first courses, and the composition of seafood risottos. The eggs and the female gonads of the cuttlefish are a gourmet dish; it is a typically Venetian and allows you to exploit these components of the offal. The preparation of cuttlefish eggs is a simple and rapid boiling in hot water, at the end of which they are served with a drizzle of oil, fresh parsley and (for lovers) a teaspoon of mayonnaise .
How to choose the Cuttlefish
Apart from the dimensions, for the success of cuttlefish-based preparations, the right choice of:
- Freshness-conservation
- Place of origin.
It is therefore useful to specify that the freezing, in addition to greatly facilitating the cleaning of the cuttlefish, it determines an extremely useful maturation to soften the meat of the adult specimens.This process is essential if the cuttlefish are prepared roasted, both on the grill and in the oven, and ESPECIALLY if the raw material is of NOSTRANA derivation. The cuttlefish of the Mediterranean Sea, in fact, boast organoleptic and gustatory characteristics far superior to the analogous ones coming from the Atlantic Ocean, but their FRESH meats are remarkably consistent. Honestly, except for the risottos (in which they will be cut very thin), I ALWAYS recommend freezing Mediterranean cuttlefish (if fresh) before cooking; on the contrary, large specimens from the Pacific Ocean (which are ALWAYS frozen or thawed) do not need any home treatment with cold (these cuttlefish are therefore more practical, cheaper, but certainly less tasty).
Freshness of cuttlefish
Fresh or defrosted cuttlefish are visually presented in a completely different way. Fresh cuttlefish, generally, are completely intact and covered with ink (under which it is possible to observe a shiny skin, basically brown on the back and white on the belly); the fresh fish even retains the pearly nuances of the belly but it is still rare to buy cuttlefish practically alive, if not in a short supply chain. Fresh cuttlefish tend to fade with time and heat, therefore, the acquired pallor is directly proportional to the time elapsed since their death. As far as thawed cuttlefish is concerned, the situation changes; those still to be cleaned are always faded, since the cold treatment significantly affects the integrity of the skin, but this does not mean that a rapidly frozen cuttlefish is qualitatively inferior to a fresh one. Indeed, as with all fish, crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs, a good frozen / deep-frozen is definitely advisable compared to a fresh one ... "not very fresh anymore".
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The cuttlefish go into perishable nature very quickly; those that are not kept at temperatures around 0 ° C (preferably in crates with crushed ice) acquire a strong smell of sulfur (even if a microbiological examination could be edible). Cuttlefish meat abounds in sulfur amino acids and, if badly preserved, undergoes the microbiological action of bacteria and / or its own enzymatic action, inexorably resulting in the release of hydrogen sulphide (molecule with the typical smell of "rotten eggs"). To acquire more information on the shelf life of cuttlefish, read the dedicated article: How to preserve fish and stop its degradation.
Nutritional characteristics
Cuttlefish have lean and low cholesterol meats; they constitute decidedly low-calorie dishes and the relative portions of consumption easily reach 300g. Cuttlefish contain traces of sugars but the macronutrients that provide the greatest amount of energy are proteins with a high biological value (rich in sulfur amino acids).
From the point of view of mineral salts and vitamins, cuttlefish are not distinguished by any particular content.
Cuttlefish are particularly suitable for low-calorie diets, as they have a good satiating power and a very low energy density; they are very useful even if contextualized in diets against dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus, but they are not among the foods recommended in the diet for gout and hyperuricemia.
Cuttlefish contain a fair amount of connective tissue; this protein element (also present in the meat of terrestrial animals but not much in fish proper and in bivalve molluscs / lamellibranchs) increases with the age of the animal and is not digestible as much as muscle peptides. For this reason, for those suffering from digestive disorders, gastritis or gastric hypochlorhydria, it is advisable to: prefer medium-small cuttlefish, freeze them, cook them appropriately and do not reach excessive consumption portions, especially in conjunction with the evening meal.
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