Braised Stuffed Squid
I have seen stuffed squid recipes with forty ingredients, and some are quite good; often, they contain squid ink, which—though hard to find (or to collect from the squid’s sacs)—is undeniably delicious. But those recipes are too time consuming for me. Still, squid—like piquillo peppers—seem to have been created for stuffing. So, over the years, I have devised this simple, sensible procedure, which produces a stuffed squid much like the one I was served a couple of years ago in northern Spain. Beware that squid shrinks significantly during cooking, so be careful to stuff it very loosely; over stuffing may result in burst squid. Great with Peasant-Style Potatoes (page 477) or Potatoes with Bay Leaves (page 481).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the bread crumbs and nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Put the squid tentacles in a food processor along with the shiitakes, onion, 2 garlic cloves, and half the anchovies or capers if you’re using them. Process until fairly fine but not pureed. Combine with the bread crumb mixture and a bit of salt and pepper. If the mixture seems dry, add a little olive oil.
Step 2
Use a small spoon to stuff the squid bodies about half full with this mixture. Close the openings with 1 or 2 toothpicks (round ones are less likely to break than flat ones).
Step 3
Chop the remaining garlic and anchovies or capers. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat; add the garlic, anchovies, and chiles and cook until the garlic begins to gain color. Carefully add the squid (it will spatter) and partially cover the pan. Brown the squid on both sides, adjusting the heat as necessary; this will take only a couple of minutes.
Step 4
Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat so the mixture simmers, and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the squid is tender (a toothpick will penetrate it fairly easily, but it will be tender like shrimp, not tender like cod). Remove the cover and, if the sauce is very thin, raise the heat and let it reduce a bit.
Step 5
Serve the squid whole or sliced, garnished with parsley and a spoonful or two of the pan juices, avoiding the chiles.
Stuffed Squid with Tomato Sauce (Italy)
Step 6
This is good over pasta: Set the squid aside after browning, and, in the same pan, make Fast, Fresh Tomato Sauce (page 606), adding a sprig of fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried. After the sauce has simmered for about 5 minutes, add the squid and cook, covered, until the squid is tender.
Squid Stuffed with Pine Nuts and Currants (Spain)
Step 7
A simpler stuffing: Omit the shiitakes, garlic, and anchovies and add 1/4 cup currants or raisins.
