We are still in the sotongs seasons...and they are abundant at the moment. I could never be tired of cuttlefish. Alot of dishes I could make with cuttlefish, as main dish or as additional ingredients. Sambal sotong, tomyam, ketupat sotong, singgang sotong or simply fried them in salt and turmeric powder.
Recently I made Kerabu sotong. It's actually a salad. Blanched cuttlefish added with shredded mangoes. So happen the mango tree in my backyard has just the right mangoes prefect for salads. Crunchy green young mangoes like green apples...Then I just bought the freshest cuttlefish from nearby fishermens' jetty. Other ingredients like lemon grass, chillies and limes were right from my gardens....they couldnt get any fresher than that....
RECIPES:
Kerabu Sotong:
10 medium sized cuttlefish-cleaned, sliced criss cross on the inside parts of the cuttlefish then cut to bite sized
3 stalks of lemon grass- take the white parts, grate or slice them
about 2 tablespoons of dried shrimp-washed, chopped and fried with no oil..
1 clove of garlic-minced
1 large onion-sliced
2 tablespoons of sugar
lime juice from one lime
3 daun limau purut (lime leaf)
5 cili padi (small chillies)
fish sauce-to taste
light soy sauce-to taste
shredded mangoes-as much as you like. my mangoes are big. one was just enough for me.
chopped coriander leaves-about a handful
roasted sesame seeds
Blanch cuttlefishes in hot boiling water for about 2-3 mins. (Sizes of the cuttlefish are important, large ones tend to be abit tough when blanched). Toast under cold water. Place the cuttlefish in a large bowl. Add to it grated lemon grass, the dried shrimp,minced garlic, sliced onion and finely chopped limau purut leaves . Stir in sugar, fish sauce, light soy sauce, lime juice. Before serving, stir in shredded mangoes, chopped coriander leaves, taste. Lastly, top it with roasted sesame seeds.
