Sepia, or Cuttlefish in English, is a member of the Squid and Octopus family and widely available at fish counters and seafood stalls throughout Spain and Europe.  The broad and firm body of the Cuttlefish lends itself well to quick grilling and the flavor is reminiscent of Squid and grilled calamari.  

Having seen the strange white fleshed Cephalopoda in markets and fish counters over the past few years I finally decided to purchase one and experiment at home with my beloved Weber.  Those that know me well understand my fascination with grilling and discovering new and tasty seafood. 

Having tried this several times now I think I’ve pretty much perfected the Cuttlefish grilling routine for the most satisfying result.  

It’s really quite simple:

1. Make sure you are purchasing a cleaned Cuttlefish from your grocer or seafood monger.  Cuttlefish do have a head and an internal cartilage-like spine that are all removed during a proper cleaning; best left to the pros. 

2. Simply take your whole Cuttlefish and slice into long 2 inch or so wide strips and also cut off the tentacles that come attached to the main body.

3. Prepare a grilling marinade that can also be used later to drizzle over the finished item.  In a medium bowl combine 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil with about 1/8 cup of red wine vinegar.   Next mix in some coarse sea salt and the juice from 1/2 a lemon.  Quickly stir and whisk these ingredients to emulsify the oil and vinegar together.   For those that like an extra kick, dice a small red chili into the mix as well.

4. Place the Cuttlefish in a shallow oven pan and then pour over the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

5. Spark up your grill (or light your charcoal) and bring up to a good medium, high heat.  Take the Cuttlefish and drop on to your grill surface.   This grills up quite quickly and only requires about 3-4 minutes per side; ideally you’ll get a nice caramelization on the outside of the Cuttlefish pieces.

6.  Take off the grill, drizzle with your leftover marinade, sprinkle some good quality sea salt and ground black pepper and serve with more fresh lemon and a chilled Sauvignon Blanc!