Cuttlefish and Peas
with pea cream, minty peas and prosciutto crudo crumble
Difficulty
Medium
Preparation
30 min
Cooking
55 min
Serves
4 people
Category
Mains
Seasonality
Spring
Cuisine
Contemporary
Propaganda's cuttlefish and peas are a tribute to Mediterranean seaside cuisine: cuttlefish fettuccine sliced on the slicer, laid on a velvety pea cream scented with mint, with whole peas seasoned raw and a dusting of crispy prosciutto crudo crumble. A dish that plays on contrasting textures — soft, crunchy, fresh — and on a bright green that tastes of spring.
Ingredients
For the pea cream
Fresh shelled peas400 g
Tropea onion, finely sliced½
Fresh mint10 leaves
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Saltto taste
For the garnish peas
Fresh shelled peas200 g
Fresh mint, chopped8 leaves
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Saltto taste
For the prosciutto crudo crumble
Prosciutto crudo8 thin slices
For the cuttlefish
Medium cleaned cuttlefish4 (≈ 200 g each)
Garlic2 cloves
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Saltto taste
For blanching the peas
Waterto taste
Salt (sea water proportion)35 g / liter
Ice waterto taste
Methods
01
Blanching the peas
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, using 35 g of salt per liter to reproduce seawater's salinity. Add all the peas (those for the cream and those for the garnish). As soon as the water returns to a rolling boil, drain immediately. Transfer at once to a bowl of ice water to shock and set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.
02
Pea cream
Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the Tropea onion and let it wilt gently for 3-4 minutes without browning. Add 400 g of blanched peas and mint leaves. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until the peas are tender. Transfer to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and homogeneous. Season to taste and strain through a fine-mesh sieve if desired for an even silkier texture. Keep warm.
03
Garnish peas
Season the remaining 200 g of blanched peas with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped mint leaves and a pinch of salt. Mix gently and set aside at room temperature.
04
Prosciutto crudo crumble
Preheat the convection oven to 130-140°C. Lay the very thin prosciutto slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes until completely crispy and dry. Cool completely, then crumble by hand or pulse coarsely in a food processor for a rustic, irregular crumble. Store in an airtight container until service.
05
Cuttlefish fettuccine
Open and butterfly the cleaned cuttlefish, flatten well with your hands. Vacuum seal individually and blast chill until firm and solid. Once hardened, slice on the meat slicer to 2-3 mm thickness, creating delicate pasta-like strips. At service time, heat a drizzle of oil with garlic clove in a non-stick pan. Add the cuttlefish strands and warm over high heat for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to warm through and infuse with flavor without overcooking. Season lightly and set aside.
06
Plating
Spread a generous layer of hot pea cream in the center of a warm soup plate. Mound the pan-warmed cuttlefish strands in the center, forming a tidy nest. Distribute the minted peas around the plate. Crown with a generous pinch of crispy prosciutto crudo crumble. Finish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
👨🍳 Chef's Tip
