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Meatballs with Cuttlefish and Peas

Meat and cuttlefish make such a lovely pair. Around here, we've always mixed land and sea on the same plate — it's pure Mediterranean tradition, the kind of cooking that's been passed down through generations in coastal towns like mine. The secret to this dish is the picada we'll add at the end. That's what really brings everything together. Ingredients for 4 people for the meatballs. 750g uncleaned cuttlefish, save 3 ink sacs from the cuttlefish. 2 onions, chopped. 1/2 leek, sliced. 1 carrot, diced. 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped. 1/2 liter fish stock here . 1/2 liter chicken broth. 50ml dry white wine. olive oil and salt. 400g peas, lightly boiled.  For the meatballs 600g ground meat, veal and pork mixed. 1 whole egg. 150g bread crumb (soft inside part of bread). milk to soak the bread. salt and pepper. flour for coating. For the picada 2 small slices of bread, toasted. 20 toasted almonds. 2 tablespoons tomato sofregit. P...

Cod and Vegetable Lasagna



How about a nice lasagna for lunch today?



Ingredients

for 4 servings
  • 4 cod loin fillets.
  • 16 lasagna sheets.
  • red bell pepper (200g).
  • zucchini (200g).
  • eggplant (250g).
  • onion (100g).
  • 1kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated.
  • 4 cloves of garlic.
  • salt.
  • extra virgin olive oil.
  • 80g grated creamy cheese.

for the béchamel:

  • 400g milk.
  • 30g butter.
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
  • 1 tablespoon flour.
  • salt.

Preparation

Wash and slice the eggplant and zucchini into thin rounds. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and let it rest covered — this draws out the bitter juices.
Cut the bell pepper and onion into thin strips.
In a large pan with 80cc of olive oil, sauté all the vegetables until soft. Season with salt and set aside.
Steam the cod fillets (skin side up) for about 8 minutes.
Take them off the heat.
Flake the cod into chunks, setting the skin aside for later.
In a pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lightly brown the peeled and sliced garlic, then remove it. In that same fragrant oil, cook the grated tomatoes down until you have a thick, concentrated sauce.
Spoon a tablespoon of the tomato sauce onto each individual baking dish.
Prepare the lasagna sheets according to the package directions.
Place one sheet over the tomato sauce in each dish, then add a layer of vegetables, some flaked cod, and a bit more tomato sauce.
Repeat the layers until you finish with a pasta sheet on top — you'll end up with 4 layers total.
Make the béchamel: Heat the butter and oil together in a small saucepan. Once it's warm, stir in the flour and cook for a moment, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Pour in the milk, add a pinch of salt, and keep stirring over medium heat until it bubbles and thickens nicely.
Divide the béchamel among the 4 dishes.
Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and pop them under the broiler until golden and bubbly.
Meanwhile, dust the reserved cod skins with flour and fry them until crispy. Cut them into strips and stick them into the lasagna with toothpicks as a little garnish.

Enjoy!
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