Alexandrian Cuttlefish Tagine
Cuttlefish baked in a tomato, pepper and coriander sauce.
Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 46 min · Total: 1 hr 6 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 600 g professionally cleaned raw cuttlefish, sliced — Keep refrigerated until added directly to the sauce; this recipe uses cuttlefish, not octopus.
- 720 g puréed fresh plum tomatoes — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- green bell pepper, chopped — 1 — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 50 g concentrated tomato paste — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- onions, finely chopped — 2 — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 50 g celery, chopped — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 1 tsp ground coriander — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 1 tsp salt — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
- 3 tbsp olive oil — Measured for the base batch; scale with the selected yield.
Instructions
Measure and keep seafood cold
Measure the ingredients for 4 portions. Keep the 600 g professionally cleaned cuttlefish refrigerated while preparing the sauce. Fourfold ingredients make 16 portions; use additional suitable baking dishes.
Ingredients are measured; seafood remains cold.
Prepare vegetables and the baking dish
Rinse fresh vegetables, then chop the onions, garlic, celery and pepper. Purée the fresh tomatoes separately from the concentrated paste. Preheat the oven to 200°C and choose a dish rated for hot contents and a preheated oven.
Vegetables are prepared; baking dish is suitable for hot food.
Soften the aromatic base
Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic, celery and green pepper for about 6 minutes until softened without burning.
Vegetables are softened, not burnt.
Vegetable sauté check: 360 seconds
Simmer the tomato sauce
Stir in 50 g concentrated tomato paste, 720 g fresh tomato purée, cumin, ground coriander and salt. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Sauce is thickened and gently bubbling.
Sauce simmer check: 600 seconds
Add cuttlefish and bake immediately
Add the cold cleaned cuttlefish directly to the bubbling sauce and coat it. Transfer immediately to the suitable baking dish and bake at 200°C, checking from 25–30 minutes. Do not hold the partially cooked mixture on the counter.
Seafood cooks in hot sauce without a holding stage.
Cuttlefish baking check: 1800 seconds
Check the seafood itself
Probe several thick cuttlefish pieces, not just the sauce: the master target is at least 63°C and tender flesh. Continue cooking if needed; bubbling sauce or the timer alone does not prove readiness.
Several thick seafood pieces reach 63°C and are tender.
Serve hot portions
Divide the cooked tagine into 4 portions and serve hot. For a fourfold batch divide into 16 portions; reserve any leftovers for immediate shallow-container cooling.
Servings are hot and seafood is fully tender.
Chill leftovers promptly
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours; reheat a portion at most once to 74°C throughout.
Leftovers are shallowly portioned and refrigerated promptly.
Tips
- Ingredient amounts scale with the selected yield; cooking and cooling times are checks, not multiplied guarantees.
Common mistakes
- Relying only on the timer instead of the stated doneness checks.
Substitutions
- Use the specified master ingredients; optional substitutions need separate quantity and preparation review.
Storage
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours; reheat a portion at most once to 74°C throughout.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout. Do not repeatedly warm and cool the batch.
About this recipe
An owner-approved Egyptian cuttlefish tagine master with a tomato base.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.