What we love about this cuttlefish and spinach stew recipe is that it’s so affordable, tasty and simple to prepare!

Cuttlefish & spinach stew is an art statement …

 

It’s relatively easy to find fresh or frozen cuttlefish at the fishmonger or at the supermarket.
Frozen cuttlefish is usually already gutted and cleaned, although a bit more expensive.
Nevertheless, the taste of the fresh cuttlefish is truly incomparable and you should give it a try!
Do not hesitate to ask your fishmonger to gut and clean it for you.
It will save you loads of time!

…an ode to glorious simplicity

 

In our recipe, we used a variety of greens aside from spinach, such as fresh scallions, Mediterranean hartwort, chervil, leek, fennel, parsley, onion, celery, dill
and wild fennel!
If you can’t find all of these greens, this won’t be a problem, but it is true that a great variety of them retains amazing aromas and adds so much flavor to the food.
Cuttlefish can be served with French fries, mashed potatoes or rice.
We usually choose to cook rice for a healthier alternative.

Talking to my English father-in-law about cuttlefish with spinach, he told me that he had never tasted this dish before he moved to Crete, so his Greek wife prepared it for him, for the first time in his life, several years ago.
The concept of cooking cuttlefish along with greens was very odd to him, but it turned out that he really loved it.
For anyone reading this post that had never had cuttlefish before, my advice would be “give it a try!”.
I’m pretty sure that you will fall in love with this signature dish of the humble Greek culinary tradition.

…a plethora of aromas in a truly healthy dish

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CUTTLEFISH & SPINACH STEW RECIPE WITH FRESH HERBS

Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 kg cuttlefish, gutted, rinsed & cut into 4cm. pieces
  • 200 ml olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 fresh scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 200 ml dry white wine
  • 100 ml bio chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 kg spinach, Mediterranean hartwort, chervil, fennel, parsley, celery, coarsely chopped
  • 5 sprigs dill, finely chopped
  • 5 sprigs wild fennel, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 2 tsp corn flour
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • In a large plus sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion, leek and fresh scallions and sauté for 5 minutes, until they become translucent.
  • Add the cuttlefish and sauté for additional 4-5 minutes.
  • Deglaze with the white wine and add the stock.
  • Cover with a lid, turn heat to medium-low and simmer the cuttlefish for 30 minutes, until they are fork tender.
  • In any case, if the liquid in the plus sauté pan is evaporated too soon, you can add a little bit of hot water.
  • Remove the lid and add the rest of the greens, fresh dill and wild fennel.
  • Stir gently until greens lose most of their volume, cover with the lid again and simmer for additional 5-10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice along with the corn flour.
  • Uncover the plus sauté pan and check if greens are cooked, but still crunchy.
  • Pour the lemon juice mixture into the pan and shake well in circular motion, until sauce thickens.
  • Taste and season according to your preference.
  • Serve along with French fries, mashed potatoes or fluffy rice.
  • Enjoy!