A Popular Fast Fasting Recipe of Lefkada
Greek Orthodox are used to abstain from meat, dairy products and fish on certain periods of the year for religious reasons. However, fasting in Greece is not really too painful. In fact, there are so many other delicious options in Greek kitchen. For example, locals in Lefkada love seafood like little fried shrimps, shellfish, crabs, fried squids, octopus and cuttlefish. Of course, all of them are accompanied with taramasalata and lagana, a special bread Greeks bake on the Clean Monday. In particular, right after the Clean Monday is the Lent period in which all Greeks are fasting for forty days. We are currently in the medium of this fasting period just almost twenty days before Easter. Fast (or ‘Nistia’ in Greek) for the locals in Lefkada is not only a religious act but it’s a healthy habit as well. The majority of the locals are or used to be fishermen. Hence, fish and sea food is quite popular in Lefkada. So, one of the most popular fast fasting recipe of Lefkada is the cuttlefish with rice in its ink.
Cuttlefish with Rice in its Ink
Cooking cuttlefish is quite popular in Ionian islands and in Lefkada as well. The local recipe is quite easy and takes only 20 minutes of preparation and half an hour of cooking.
Cuttlefish Risotto in its Ink
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 3 medium size cuttlefish about 1 Kg
- 1 dry onion
- 1 cup of rise for risotto
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine or ouzo
- 1 tea spoon of salt
- 2 gloves of garlic
- 1 tea spoon of ground black pepper
- 1 litre of boiled water
Preparation
Clean the cuttlefish by pulling out the head from the body. Also, pull out the back white bone of the cuttlefish. If you have parrots just boil it and disinfect it. It is an incredible calcium source for your birds bones. Otherwise, throw away the bone together with the stomach, the eyes and the mouth with its black jaws. Keep aside only the little black bag you will find among all these. It is the ink of the cuttlefish. Clean the rest of the body and the head thoroughly with water. Then, you cut the cuttlefish in small pieces to the shape you like. Finally, you grate the onion and garlic.
Cooking
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan and in medium temperature. Add the onion, the garlic and the pieces of cuttlefish inside the pot. Just wait for a minute stirring and poor the wine or ouzo. Leave for another minute to let the alcohol to evaporate. Add the boiled water and the salt and leave the mixture to boil in medium temperature for 20 minutes. Then, add the rice and half of the ink from the little black bag with a tea spoon and boil with the cuttlefish in low temperature. Stir the mixture from time to time. After 10 minutes switch off the hot plate, let the rice to absorb the water and add the black pepper.
Finally, add lemon and enjoy your cuttlefish risotto in its ink.