This simple cuttlefish recipe from Ollie Templeton is served with a simple homemade harissa and daikon preserved in shio koji, for an eye-catching and light side dish. It pairs beautifully with a bottle of 2021 Cune Blanco Barrel Fermented Rioja. Although you will only need 100g of pickled daikon for this recipe, we'd recommend making a bigger batch. And if you don't fancy making it you can also buy preserved daikon at most Asian supermarkets.
Peel the daikon, cut it into 10 cm chunks and then wash
Weigh the daikon and then measure out 10% of its weight in shio koji
Cover the daikon evenly in shio koji and let it ferment in a vacuum bag or in a zip lock bag out of the fridge for 5–7 days
Once the daikon is fermented, slice it into thin rounds
On a barbecue or on your gas hob, burn the skin of the red pepper and red chillies all over
Once blackened, put them in a bowl or container with a lid and let them cool down. By trapping the steam you will lift the skin from the flesh making it easy to peel
Toast the cumin and black pepper and then grind them in a pestle and mortar
Peel the pepper and chilli and then blend them into a smooth paste
Season the pepper paste with olive oil, the toasted spices and sherry vinegar and then add salt to taste
Score the cuttlefish on the inside of the body. Open up the tentacles and cut them into individual pieces. Cut the wings in half and season everything with olive oil, salt and pepper
Over a very hot coal grill the three different cuts of cuttlefish, letting them char so that you have nice crunchy, smoky edges
Once cooked, transfer the cuttlefish to a chopping board. Thinly slice the body and add to a bowl. Add the sliced daikon and basil. Dress lightly with harissa and dish up
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