In Calabria they fry just about everything, but fried cuttlefish (seppie fritte) is something they do extremely well! With hundreds of mile of coastline it’s no surprise they fry every seafood imaginable. In a restaurant you’ll find fried calamari (calamari fritti), fried shrimp (gamberi fritti), fried fish (pesce fritto), but our favorite is fried cuttlefish (seppie fritte).

Fried cuttle fish is not to be confused with its slightly more chewy cousin fried calamari. In Italy calamari is very affordable and is not treated as a special seafood as it is in the U.S. In Italy cuttlefish is rarer and therefore more expensive. The texture is more smooth and tender. When fried properly cuttlefish is light, crisp, and simply delicious.

Frying in Olive Oil

You can fry in olive oil. We fry in olive oil regularly and have never had an issue. Giuseppe’s mom (along with the rest Italy) fry in olive oil regularly and it’s never an issue. The key to frying in olive oil (and with any oil) is ensuring the oil is the correct temperature.