Preparing and Cooking Cuttlefish

Squid, known for their unique texture and taste, are a welcome addition to any spearos esky. However, we will often swim past the humble cuttlefish.

At Adreno, we love most food that comes from the ocean and the occasional cuttlefish is no exception. It is our belief that the main reason people swim on by when they see a cuttlefish is because they don’t know how to prepare and cook them. So we have done a little research to help you get the most out of your diving experience and try something different to fish!

This little video is a cuttlefish cleaners bible – the Sydney Fish Market perfectly demonstrates how to clean a cuttlefish and have it ready to cook.

Points to remember include:

- Be careful of the spike on their backside - Twist the cuttlebone to remove - Pull out the tentacles and insides - Use your thum to separate and peel off the skin - Cut length ways as oppose to across the cuttlefish to avoid your strips curling up

How to cook cuttlefish

When cooking cuttlefish it is generally recommended to cook on high heat, in shallow oil until it is white. It is very similar to squid. There are some simple and quick recipes for cooking cuttlefish:

-Fry on high heat with oil, generous amounts of sweet chilli sauce and sliced shallots (great for an entrée or a main with some fried rice)

-Throw together a sweet chilli or sweet and sour stir fry, cook cuttlefish separately and add with some crushed cashew nuts

-Place in a freezer bag with flour, salt and cracked pepper. Shake, fry on high heat in shallow oil and serve as salt and pepper cuttlefish (very similar to salt and pepper calamari). Add some chilli or chilli flakes, and shallots for a bit extra taste.

For those of you looking for something with a bit more depth, try this:

Have you ever shot and eaten a cuttlefish? What do you think of them? Share your thoughts & recipes with us by commenting below: