Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb cleaned cuttlefish or squid
- 1/2 onion, sliced into half-moons
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 T. dried oregano
- 1 t. salt
- 1 T. finely chopped lemongrass (optional)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken or fish broth
- 10 scallions or green onions
- 1 cup fresh (shelled) fava or lima beans
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Fresh ground black pepper
Preparation:
Cut your cuttlefish into bite-sized pieces, about an inch long. Do the same with your scallions or green onions. I cut the onions on a bias to get that pretty diagonal shape.
Make certain your fava beans are shelled. Favas come in a large pod, and then live in thick jackets that will give you gas if you eat them. If your favas look pale green and have a black or yellow line on them, they need their jackets removed. Do this by boiling them in salty water for 1 minute, then dunking into cold water. The jackets will slip off easily.
In a shallow pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes and cook the 1/2 onion you cut into half-moons. Do this slowly; you don't want them to brown. Cook until translucent and soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the cuttlefish and the lemongrass and mix to coat with the oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the bay leaves, oregano, the teaspoon of salt and the white wine and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let this cook down for 5 minutes.
Add enough chicken or fish broth to almost -- but not quite -- cover the cuttlefish. Mix well, cover and cook over low heat for 90 minutes.
After the 90 minutes has passed, check the cuttlefish. Is it still really chewy? I mean really chewy? Cook it for another 15 minutes. Cuttlefish is supposed to be chewy, but it should not be like rubber.
Once the cuttlefish is the texture you want, add the scallions and the fava beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature with rice or crusty bread. Grind black pepper over the dish at service, and offer lemon wedges to each guest. This dish needs the acid from the lemon, but each person will want a different amount.