Cuttlefish ‘millefoglie’

...on a tomato sauce with capers, Greek olives and candied lemon zest   

CHEF MATTEO GIUDICI

Ingredients for 4 people:  

8 medium-sized cuttlefish (squid), 40g pitted Greek olives, unsalted capers as needed, rice flour as needed, peanut oil, celery powder as needed (optional) and Himalayan pink salt as needed.

For the candied lemon zest: the peel of 1 fresh lemon, 120g refined sugar and 200g water.

For the tomato sauce: 4 red tomatoes, 40g oil-flavored extra-virgin olive oil, 10g unsalted capers and 4 basil leaves.

Directions: 

Preparing the garlic-flavored olive oil a day before: cut three garlic cloves in half, remove the center and put them in a half glass of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover the glass with the right plastic wrap and heat the oil in a microwave for 20 seconds. Let the oil sit overnight and then filter before use.

Parboil the tomatoes, peel them and cut each into 4 parts. Blend the pieces with the capers and basil. Strain the sauce and then blend again with a trickle of aromatized oil and a pinch of salt if desired.

Preparing the candied lemon zest: Put the lemon peel in cold water, bring to a boil and then drain. Repeat this operation three times. Drain and carefully dry the peel before cutting it julienne style. Put the sugar and water in a small pan and reduce to a syrup before adding the lemon peel slices and cooking them at a low heat until they are soft.

Clean the cuttlefish, removing the inside film. Cut the fish bodies lengthwise and then into squares. Cut the tentacles off and put everything in a bowl with sparkling water and ice and let sit for a couple of minutes in the refrigerator. Drain and dry the fish.

Dust the tentacles in the rice flour, shaking them to eliminate any excess flour, and then fry them in hot peanut oil. Remove the tentacles with a skimmer and dry any excess oil with paper towels before salting to taste.

Quickly fry the cuttlefish squares in a non-stick pan with a trickle of extra-virgin olive oil and without letting them brown. If you have the right equipment, you can cook the cuttlefish, in air-sealed plastic, in a thermostatic oven heated to 60°C for 35 minutes. Salt to taste.

Using a ladle, spread some tomato sauce on each plate and then cover each fish square with sauce before layering them to create a ‘millefoglie’ stack. Surround each stack with the fried tentacles and decorate with the olives that have been cut in half, some capers and the candied lemon zest. Sprinkle on some celery powder and Himalayan pink salt and trickle a little extra-virgin olive oil on top.

Wine to pair: 

Vigneto della Riva di San Floriano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg Nino Franco 

A Brut Sparkling wine with complex bouquet of fruit salad, peach, apple and lime with the heady scents of wisteria and orange flowers. In the mouth, the wine shows the same intensity, supported by good acidity. Fresh fruit, elegance and depth. Fine and persistent.

Production area: Valdobbiadene (TV), from the Riva di San Floriano Vineyard.

Grape varieties: 100% Glera.

Production system: Charmat Method, type Brut.

Alcoholic content: 12%.

Serving temperature: 6-8°C.

Food pairing: drinkable from the aperitif to main dishes. Perfect match with oysters and salty fishes. Very pleasant with our typical sopressa – a kind of cured meat.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY: NINO FRANCO