Stuffed Cuttlefish (my way??)

 Our internet has been pretty sketchy lately. Actually, that's a serious understatement - it sucks. It's technically our fault because we are trying to share with the next door neighbors (we agreed to split the cost originally), but the signal just isn't quite reaching our end well enough. It's bad enough to really make me want to scream sometimes...most of the time...

To add insult to injury, I have recently discovered that almost all my old pictures have been deleted on Blogger!!! Ugh. Major damage control. So I've been a little MIA from the blog the past week because I've been desperately trying to re-upload everything once again.

This week has been pretty relaxing for me, which is great since I am sick. I've been working from the library for the most part, so my schedule is more flexible, meaning I have more time to devote to my blog. Ever since my blog got featured, I feel like it's been getting a little more attention (woohoo!). So it was awesome when one of my friends actually asked me to cook for him after the publication.

I actually had a little bit of dumpling/wonton filling left over from the last time I made wontons (a couple months ago, but don't worry it's been frozen), and I've been meaning to get rid of it somehow. In addition, I had recently gone to the local Hmart (Korean market) and bought a few frozen cuttlefish. So, naturally, it occurred to me then...ground pork stuffing + giant squid-like creature = stuffed squid! Except with a few changes...heh heh...

Anyway, it turned out relatively good. I grilled it over our George Foreman grill, maybe a little too much because I wanted to make sure the inside was fully cooked. Next time, I think I will cut slits on the sides before grilling so the insides cook a bit quicker (and the squid doesn't get overdone and rubbery). I think it also needs some sort of sauce to dip in; my friend mentioned that the taste of squid was still too strong.



Stuffed Cuttlefish

Ingredients

-Dumpling filling (adopted from Rasa Malaysia)
-1 minced shallot
-1/2 cup cellophane noodles, soaked and cut into 2-3inch pieces
-1/4 cup woodear mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
-2-3 frozen cuttlefish
-4-6 toothpicks (or you can use a needle and thread like me, but I don't recommend it)
-Lime and sriracha sauce or Nuoc Cham for dipping

1. Clean the cuttlefish; peel off the outer skin, remove the innards and beak. Cut the tentacles into little pieces.
2. Mix the tentacle pieces with the dumpling filling, mushrooms, cellophane noodles, and shallot.
3. Wash the tube of the cuttlefish until it is clean and empty. Stuff the filling into the tube, but MAKE SURE you do not fill it to the top! It will expand when cooked, so leave about an inch from the top.
4. Close the opening with toothpicks or needle and thread.
5. Cut slits on the top and bottom, then grill until a nice brown crust has formed. Continuously check the insides to make sure they are cooked.
6. Remove and serve immediately with sauce and limes on the side.