# How to make Cuttlefish tender?



## Rocklobster (Nov 12, 2010)

I love Cuttlefish. I can never seem to get them tender. I've had them before sauce where they are not very chewy.  But I can never get them that way.  I've cooked them for various times in different recipes so I am still puzzled...


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## Selkie (Nov 12, 2010)

I have no experience with cuttlefish either, but I do have experience with squid. What I've learned is that size makes a difference, smaller is more tender, and cooking for a very short period of time keeps it from turning to rubber. I cook the breaded rings for 2 1/2-3 minutes... about the same time as clam strips.

With a cuttlefish being a cousin to the squid, my guess would be that they could be cooked in similar ways, so you might investigate some squid recipes and read about what they say.

It's just a suggestion.


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## spork (Nov 12, 2010)

I flash it in a very hot wok, for not much longer than it takes for me to sing, "happy birthday to me," and set it aside.  Finishing a dish with it.  I treat it more delicately than a bean sprout.

I've heard that a long braise makes good squid, but I've never tried it.

Dried cuttlefish is the snacker's bomb!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Nov 12, 2010)

The general rule of thumb for cuttlefish, clams, shrimp, etc. is three minutes or three hours.

It is quickly overcooked, turning it into rubbery food.  However, as with most proteins, raising it slow and low, in a broth, or sauce, for a long time, will cause the proteins to break down and become tender.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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