Cuttlefish Julienne with Apulian Chickpea Cream

🛒 Ingredients

• 500 g Julienned Cuttlefish
• 400 g (peso sgocciolato) Canned pre-cooked chickpeas
• 2 spicchi Garlic
• 1 piccolo (o 1/2 cucchiaino di fiocchi) Fresh chili pepper
• 80 ml Dry white wine
• 250 ml Hot vegetable broth
• 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ciuffo (circa 20 g) Fresh parsley
• 1 rametto Fresh rosemary
• 4 g Fine salt
• 2 g Freshly ground black pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Passo 1: Per prima cosa, scongelare la Julienned Cuttlefish in frigorifero per almeno 12 ore o sotto acqua fredda corrente, quindi scolarla molto bene e tamponarla con carta assorbente.
2. Passo 2: Prepare the chickpea cream: in a saucepan, heat 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil with a lightly crushed garlic clove and the rosemary sprig. Let it flavor for a couple of minutes over low heat.
3. Passo 3: Add the pre-cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained) to the saucepan. Sauté them for a few minutes, then pour in the hot vegetable broth. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and have absorbed some of the liquid. Remove the garlic and rosemary.
4. Passo 4: Blend the chickpeas with an immersion blender until you get a smooth and velvety cream. If necessary, add another tablespoon of broth to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the cream warm.
5. Passo 5: In a large pan, heat the remaining 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil with the second lightly crushed garlic clove and the chopped fresh chili pepper (or flakes). Sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Passo 6: Add the well-drained and patted dry julienned cuttlefish to the pan. Turn up the heat and sauté the cuttlefish for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until it has released its water.
7. Passo 7: Deglaze with the dry white wine, letting it evaporate completely. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cuttlefish is tender. Be careful not to overcook it to avoid it becoming rubbery; julienned cuttlefish cooks quickly.
8. Passo 8: Add the finely chopped fresh parsley to the cuttlefish, stir, and turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Passo 9: Plate by pouring a generous ladle of warm chickpea cream onto the bottom of each plate. Arrange the julienned cuttlefish on top. Finish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and a grind of fresh pepper. Serve immediately.

💡 Chef's Tips

• Make sure to drain and pat the cuttlefish very dry before cooking it; this will help achieve a better browning and prevent it from releasing too much water during cooking.
• For an even creamier chickpea purée, you can pass it through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
• Do not overcook the julienned cuttlefish; being already thinly sliced, it requires short cooking times to maintain a tender and juicy consistency.