Cuttlefish, Bean and 'Nduja Stew Recipe

Any dish that contains two whole garlic bulbs is a winner in our books, and this rich, satisfying cuttlefish stew is bolstered with aromatic bay leaves, plenty of olive oil, a glug of red wine and fiery, delicious 'nduja – a soft cured sausage from Calabria in southern Italy. If you've not cooked with cuttlefish before then this is the perfect introduction to its meaty texture and flavour.

Ingredients

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Beans

400g of cannellini beans, or other dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled
4 bay leaves
100ml of olive oil
moscatel vinegar, to taste
salt, to taste
50g of 'nduja

Cuttlefish

100ml of olive oil
200g of pearl onions
1kg cuttlefish, cleaned – this is a messy job so ask your fishmonger to do this for you!
200g of cherry tomatoes
1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled
5 bay leaves
175ml of red wine
2 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
chopped parsley, to garnish
lemon juice, to taste

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Drain the soaked beans, then transfer to a large pan and cover with fresh water until it reaches 2cm above the beans. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves and olive oil, then cover and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until the beans are cooked through but still with a slight bite

400g of cannellini beans, or other dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled
4 bay leaves
100ml of olive oil

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. In a large deep pan or ovenproof dish, gently fry the onions in the olive oil over a low heat for around 20 minutes, until they are golden brown all over and starting to get soft and sweet

100ml of olive oil
200g of pearl onions

Cut the cuttlefish into bitesize triangles (roughly 5cm in length) and, if needed, cut the tentacles to roughly the same size. It will shrink a bit during cooking so be careful not to go too small. Set aside

1kg cuttlefish, cleaned – this is a messy job so ask your fishmonger to do this for you!

Add the tomatoes to the onions and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to burst then add the whole peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, cuttlefish, red wine and salt. Fold everything together and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Alternatively, transfer to a deep roasting pan and cover tightly with foil

200g of cherry tomatoes
1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled
5 bay leaves
175ml of red wine
2 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning

Place in the oven and cook for 1½-2 hours until the cuttlefish is very tender and can be cut with a spoon. The cuttlefish will kick out quite a lot of water during cooking so if it seems a bit liquidy gently simmer, uncovered, on the stove for a few minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly

By the time the cuttlefish gets going in the oven, the beans should finish cooking. Smush the garlic and a few of the beans with the back of a spoon (this will thicken the sauce slightly) and season with the vinegar and salt to taste. Fold the nduja through the beans until it has melted and evenly distributed, then either keep warm or reheat when the cuttlefish is ready

moscatel vinegar, to taste
salt, to taste
50g of 'nduja

Season the cuttlefish with salt to taste and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley. If needed, reheat the beans, then pile into bowls with the cuttlefish stew in the middle

lemon juice, to taste
chopped parsley, to garnish

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Matt Beardmore

The rustic, seasonal Italian dishes executive chef Matt Beardmore cooks in the kitchen of Legare in London are punchy, packed with flavour and a testament to just how incredible Italy’s regional cuisine can be.