Sources

This Story Has Legs...

About eight of them. But it’s told in three delicious recipes. Octopus, squid, and sepia make up the category known colloquially as “inkfish” by salty fishermen who work the Atlantic depths. And while these tentacled cephalopods share several similarities, they should be celebrated for their differences.

"For a delicious and easy treat, we have cooked octopus legs. Ideal as a simple, savory and seductive appetizer, they're light, buoyant and ready to slice and eat."

When it comes to octopus, it’s all about Spain. We source the finest wild octopus from the fertile waters off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. And do we have options. For a delicious and easy treat, we have cooked octopus legs. Ideal as a simple, savory and seductive appetizer, they’re light, buoyant and ready to slice and eat. For the chef with sights set on the flavors of Spain, we also offer tenderized octopus. It’s tumbled in sea salt and cold water to ensure optimal tenderness and is perfect for a Galician-style feast, rich with potatoes and spicy paprika. And finally, we have baby octopus. These leggy, purple-hued Atlantic delicacies are beautiful boiled for just five minutes, massaged with olive oil, and seared on the grill, three minutes to a side. Take care not to overcook it— octopus should be sweet and chewy, never rubbery. Chop into bite-size pieces, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve on a bed of greens. Simple perfection.

Onto squid, aka calamari. At Citarella, all of our fresh squid is Atlantic sourced. It doesn’t get much better than calamari, flour dusted, fried, sprinkle of salt, squeeze of lemon, and off to the races with a crunch. But if you want to take squid to the next level in your own kitchen, try stuffing cleaned whole calamari with sautéed mushrooms and seasoned breadcrumbs, cover in marinara sauce, and bake. This is a dish that revels in the interplay between earthy and ocean flavors and showcases squid’s uniquely tender, springy texture.

And finally, there’s sepia, aka cuttlefish. Sustainably sourced off the coast of Spain or Senegal, this Atlantic delicacy is admired for its mild flavor, tender texture and most of all, it’s jet black, briny ink. It’s this mesmerizing foray into darkness that makes spaghetti nero such a visually arresting, enjoyable dish. Adding a handful of sautéed bay scallops and rock shrimp on top, you can take this traditional Italian recipe to amazing new heights.

You’ll find each of these delicious recipes in detail in Joe Gurrera’s cookbook, Joe Knows Fish. Squid. Octopus. Cuttlefish. A tender, delicious mélange of texture and taste, rings and tentacles. There’s really nothing to be afraid of. All nutritious, all tremendously easy to prepare. Give yourself room to experiment. Have fun. Find that perfect balance of salt, fat, and heat. In the world of quality seafood, the adventurous are always rewarded. And, if it navigates the mighty Atlantic Ocean with eight legs—and it’s delicious—you’ll find it as tender as it gets and fresh from the source at Citarella gourmet market.