Squid stews are good in any season. Warm in summer with a salad, hot with soft polenta in winter. Whether you add just peas, just cherry tomatoes, or just onion, they are always good. The basic procedure remains the same: good raw materials and slow cooking. On Ghisanativa, of course! If you can, make this recipe the day before you bring it to the table. Keep the squid, or cuttlefish if you prefer, in the fridge in a special container with a lid. You will bring a clean pot to the table with a better presentation and the cuttlefish will be softer and tastier when warmed up.

Ingredients for two people

• 750 g fresh squid or cuttlefish (also frozen) medium-small
• 50 g white onion
• 100 g small peas (also frozen)
• 80 g peeled cherry tomatoes
• 350 g potatoes
• 30 g extra virgin olive oil
• 150 g white wine
• 250 g vegetable stock
• aromatic herbs to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation methodology

Cut the onions into thin slices or squares, about 5 mm thick. They will dissolve after cooking so the cut does not need to be perfect. Put plenty of oil on the Ghisanativa pan. Add the onions as soon as the oil is hot. Braise over a low heat for 10-15 minutes with the lid just ajar. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of hot water. The onions should not brown, but become transparent. 

Then add the squid or cuttlefish, which should be gutted and, if possible, without the beak in the middle of the tentacles. It is best not to cut the fish if they are small, but to keep them whole. On the other hand, if you have large cuttlefish or squid, you should chop them up.

Cook over a medium heat for ten minutes with the lid on. Deglaze the cuttlefish or squid with the still white wine. Turn up the heat to bring to the boil. Then lower the heat and stir the fish occasionally. As soon as the wine is finished, add the stock and the potatoes cut into 4-5 cm regular sizes.

If you have fresh cherry tomatoes, cut them with a small knife, blanch them for half a minute in water, cool them immediately in cold water with ice. Peel them. Put the peels in a ventilated oven at 100 degrees for at least 20 minutes and create a colourful decoration. Divide them in two, remove the seeds and keep the water too, to add flavour to the fish and not waste anything.

Finish cooking the squid or cuttlefish for another 20 minutes or so. In all, the squid with peas, potatoes, and cherry tomatoes should cook for about 60 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Add herbs if you like. I used some savory leaves. Serve the cuttlefish as a main dish with a side of fresh vegetables and some croutons, or with polenta. For a delicate touch, choose white polenta, which goes very well with the fish.

Roberta de Salvador

“Bellunese doc, omnivorous and publicist journalist with a passion for food and wine. She graduated in Communication Sciences and then did a 10 kg master’s degree at Gambero Rosso, kilos she lost with a healthy diet and lots of walking in the mountains. The recipes she shares with us revisit traditional Italian cuisine and are repeatable even for those who are not PRO cooks.”

This recipe was prepared on