Mince Pies with Cuttlefish and Black Ink

Mince Pies with Cuttlefish and Black Ink

Mince Pies don't always have to be sweet... Why not try our chef's unique version made with cuttlefish and black ink. An inventive twist on a festive treat.

Merry Fishmas! 

  • Time 120minutes
  • Serves 20
  • Difficulty Average

Ingredients

500g cuttlefish, finely diced

100g unsalted butter

100g carrot, finely diced 

100g shallots, finely chopped 

100g leeks, finely chopped 

50g celery, finely chopped 

20g garlic, chopped 

80g tomato puree

100g cuttlefish ink

1litre white wine

1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Mince Pie Filling

  1. Dice the cuttlefish as finely as you can *top tip, freeze the cuttlefish for an hour beforehand to firm up
  2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan and sweat the cuttlefish for a couple of minutes
  3. Add the vegetables and sweat for 5 minutes
  4. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further 5 minutes
  5. Pour in the cuttlefish ink and white wine and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and checking on the consistency
  6. Whilst stirring you’re looking for the cuttlefish to feel tender and have reached a thick consistency
  7. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly, then put the mince pie filling aside whilst working on the pastry

Pastry

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to approximately 3mm thick. Using a round cutter, cut out approximately 24 bases and line the pastry tin
  3. Fill each pastry case with a generous spoon of the mince pie filling and brush the edges with a little beaten egg
  4. With the remaining pastry, cut out little stars and place on top of each mince pie
  5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden

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