‘They called it black gold’: but should cuttlefish be on our menus?

It’s a delicacy in France and Spain, and springing up at the UK’s restaurants, but is the trend for dining on cuttlefish sustainable?It can be braised low and slow or grilled in a hot flash, covered in sauce and canned or stirred through a paella. Cuttlefish, a cephalopod closely related to squid, is the seafood menu offering du jour.In March a cuttlefish risotto was added to the menu at Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall. In Cardiff, at Heaneys, you can find a dish of pork belly, cuttlefish and borlotti beans. At Cycene in London’s Shoreditch, a goat ragu with cuttlefish noodles, while at Silo in Stratford, cuttlefish is fermented to dress leeks, alliums and padron peppers. In Glasgow, Celentano’s offers a linguine and cuttlefish ragu with black olives and tarragon. Continue reading...

Apr 13, 2025 - 09:14

‘They called it black gold’: but should cuttlefish be on our menus?

It’s a delicacy in France and Spain, and springing up at the UK’s restaurants, but is the trend for dining on cuttlefish sustainable?

It can be braised low and slow or grilled in a hot flash, covered in sauce and canned or stirred through a paella. Cuttlefish, a cephalopod closely related to squid, is the seafood menu offering du jour.

In March a cuttlefish risotto was added to the menu at Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall. In Cardiff, at Heaneys, you can find a dish of pork belly, cuttlefish and borlotti beans. At Cycene in London’s Shoreditch, a goat ragu with cuttlefish noodles, while at Silo in Stratford, cuttlefish is fermented to dress leeks, alliums and padron peppers. In Glasgow, Celentano’s offers a linguine and cuttlefish ragu with black olives and tarragon. Continue reading...