Recipe no. 138 from Jean-Baptiste Reboul's La Cuisinière provençale (1909), page 73.
Ingredients
- cuttlefish
- flour
- oil
Preparation
- InformationThe cuttlefish differs noticeably from the octopus, but people who are not used to eating either one will not notice the difference. We shall only say that the cuttlefish is more delicate than the octopus, and is prepared the same way. The very small cuttlefish are called suppions in Marseille, and are generally fried.
- CleaningCleaning them requires a certain skill, which consists of removing the bone they contain, called the cuttlebone, then a black liquid contained in a small pouch that must be avoided bursting. Well washed and patted dry, roll them in flour and dip them into hot frying fat.
- CookingWhile they cook, take care to put a saucepan lid over the pan to avoid burning yourself, for the cuttlefish, crackling in the fat, often splatter it out; 7 to 8 minutes are enough; drain them, sprinkle with salt and serve them nicely crisp.
Reboul's text
The cuttlefish differs noticeably from the octopus, but people who are not used to eating either one will not notice the difference. We do not wish to digress here; we shall only say that the cuttlefish is more delicate than the octopus, and is prepared the same way. The very small cuttlefish are called suppions in Marseille, and are generally fried. Cleaning them requires a certain skill, which consists of removing the bone they contain, called the cuttlebone, then a black liquid contained in a small pouch that must be avoided bursting. Well washed and patted dry, roll them in flour and dip them into hot frying fat; while they cook, take care to put a saucepan lid over the pan to avoid burning yourself, for the cuttlefish, crackling in the fat, often splatter it out; 7 to 8 minutes are enough; drain them, sprinkle with salt and serve them nicely crisp.
Small Provençal glossary for this recipe
Reboul himself gives certain Provençal names in this recipe: suppions. The table below gives the Provençal equivalents of the other words used, in mistralian spelling: each of these forms is attested in our Provençal-English dictionary, and the link opens the entry. Our dictionary does not yet attest the word suppions: we therefore quote it as the author printed it, without adding a form of our own.
| Provençal | English |
|---|---|
| sèpi | cuttlefish |
| fregi | to fry |
| oussaio | cuttlebone |
| liquide | black liquid |
| roula | to roll |
| farino | flour |
| fregiduro | frying fat |
Source: Jean-Baptiste Reboul, La Cuisinière provençale, Marseille, 1909, recipe no. 138, page 73. Public domain. Transcription, formatting and Provençal glossary by Lingua Nostra.