Alarmed that local fisherman are discarding unwanted cuttlefish, Dev Biswal, chef patron of The Ambrette @ Rye restaurant, last week give live cooking demos of a specially created recipe for the Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival in an attempt to encourage visitors to try cuttlefish and less popular types of fish, whose stocks are at healthy levels.
The Michelin-rated chef has created a ‘South Indian style Cuttlefish Kedgeree’ dish. Originating amongst British colonials in India, Kedgeree which was part of the then fashionable Anglo-Indian cuisine, was introduced to the UK as a popular breakfast dish in Victorian times.
“Speaking to local fisherman, it appears there’s very little local demand for cuttlefish, one – who catches them is special pots with no by-catch – exorts them to Italy, where they are prized as a delicacy!” said Biswal, adding, “It’s a great shame as they’re in plentiful supply along this stretch of the English Channel.”
Cuttlefish has a sweet, delicate flavour and, despite the name, cuttlefish are not fish, but cephalods, from the same family as squid and octopus, and it’s entirely carb-free…
Copies of the ‘South Indian style Cuttlefish Kedgeree’ recipe can be downloaded from www.theambrette.co.uk