Name: Grilled cuttlefish, roast zucchini, pickled celery and olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 cuttlefish, cleaned, tentacles and wings reserved; 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling (½ cup); Juice of 1 lemon; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1½ long red chillies, seeds removed, thinly sliced; 3 green zucchini, cut diagonally into wedges; ¼ bunch thyme, leaves picked; 100 gm black olives, such as Taggiasche, squashed, pitted; 1 cup each flat-leaf parsley and mint (loosely packed); ½ preserved lemon, flesh only, thinly sliced; Pickled celery; 125 ml white wine vinegar (½ cup); 2 tsp caster sugar; 2-3 inner white celery stalks, thinly sliced, leaves reserved

Grilled cuttlefish, roast zucchini, pickled celery and olives

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Grilled cuttlefish, roast zucchini, pickled celery and olives

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

25M

Total

45M

“I love the fact that you can cook cuttlefish on a smoking grill but the flesh remains soft and yielding. I also love the simplicity of this dish and the contrasting textures, colours and flavours.” You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead. Andrew Cibej, Vini, Surry Hills, NSW

Ingredients

8 cuttlefish, cleaned, tentacles and wings reserved

125 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling (½ cup)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1½ long red chillies, seeds removed, thinly sliced

3 green zucchini, cut diagonally into wedges

¼ bunch thyme, leaves picked

100 gm black olives, such as Taggiasche, squashed, pitted

1 cup each flat-leaf parsley and mint (loosely packed)

½ preserved lemon, flesh only, thinly sliced

Pickled celery

125 ml white wine vinegar (½ cup)

2 tsp caster sugar

2-3 inner white celery stalks, thinly sliced, leaves reserved

Method

Main

1.Preheat a char-grill pan over high heat. Open cuttlefish bodies, score inside in a cross-hatch pattern, cut into thirds, brush with a little olive oil, season to taste and grill until just opaque (30 seconds each side). Cool slightly, then combine in a non-reactive bowl with 100ml olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and one-third of the chilli. Refrigerate to marinate (4 hours-overnight).

2.For pickled celery, combine vinegar, sugar and 125ml water in a saucepan, bring to the simmer, transfer to a non-reactive bowl and cool to room temperature. Add celery and set aside to pickle (15 minutes).

3.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Season zucchini to taste and toss in remaining olive oil. Place in a roasting pan, scatter with thyme and roast until golden and tender (20-25 minutes).

4.Drain cuttlefish and celery (discard liquid), place on a large plate with olives, herbs, preserved lemon and zucchini. Sprinkle with celery leaves and remaining chilli, drizzle with a little olive oil, season to taste and serve.