Cuttlefish and chorizo stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper  
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic 
• ½ bulb fennel
• 150g spicy chorizo
• 3 tomatoes
• 1tbsp lemon peel
• Handful of mint  
• 2 medium cuttlefish, cleaned
• 50g green olives
• 200ml white wine  
• 400ml chicken stock  
• Olive oil
• Salt to taste

For the Polenta

• 100g quick polenta
• 400ml water
• Salt to taste
• Butter to taste

Method

1. Chop the red pepper, tomato and chorizo into similar sized cubes, around 2 inches.
2. Slice the onion and the fennel, and roughly chop the garlic.
3. Slice the olives lengthways and chop the cuttlefish into pieces around 3 inches in size.
4. For the lemon zest, remove the skin of half the lemon with a potato peeler and slice it into thin strips.
5. Now that your prep is done, put a pot on a medium heat.
6. Add olive oil and start by frying the onion, fennel, red pepper and chorizo.
7. Cook them for 5 minutes and add in the garlic. Leave for another two minutes and add the chopped tomato.
8. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring every so often.
9. Add the wine and allow the alcohol to cook off.
10. Add the chicken stock, mint, lemon zest, olives and cuttlefish. Bring to the boil and drop to a simmer. Leave to cook slowly in this way for 3 hours or until the cuttlefish is very tender.
11. Keep an eye on the liquid level, topping up with water if needed.
12. Once the cuttlefish is ready reduce the liquid to a stew consistency.
13. Set the water for the polenta to boil in another pot.
14. Once boiling, add a couple of pinches of salt and add in the polenta.
15. Lower the heat to medium, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to avoid lumps.
16. Stir in some butter to your liking and adjust the seasoning if needed.
17. Spoon the stew over the polenta in bowls and garnish with more mint leaves.

This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV January, 2019

Watch full episode below: