Italian Stuffed Squid Food

ITALIAN STUFFED SQUID

Steps:

• Clean squid or tubes and pat dry.
• If using whole squid, chop tender parts of the tentacles and mix them with the bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, egg and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to make stuffing.
• Blend well, add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon stuffing mixture loosely into each squid tube and close with a toothpick. Do not over stuff because the squid will shrink during cooking.
• Add remaining oil to skillet large enough to hold squid in a single layer.
• Heat oil and cook sliced garlic until golden brown. Arrange the squid in oil and brown all sides lightly.
• Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, rosemary, green pepper, remaining minced garlic, wine and salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and cook 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove toothpick from squid and serve whole or sliced, alone or with pasta.

SQUID STUFFED SQUID

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and salt and sweat until the onions turn translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
• Clean the squid thoroughly and remove the heads from the tentacles and discard the heads. Turn the tubes inside out (since the outside skin tends to curl outward, it'll hold the stuffing better inside out), put into a bowl and set in the refrigerator until ready to use. Place the tentacles and the shrimp into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times or until there are no large pieces visible. Do not process until smooth. Transfer to the mixing bowl along with the onions and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, tomato, lemon zest, ginger, parsley and pepper. Stir to combine well.
• Place the mixture into a resealable freezer bag and snip 1 corner. You may use a pastry bag with a tip just small enough to fit into the end of the tubes. Pipe the stuffing into the tubes, dividing the mixture evenly between them. Do not over-stuff.
• Place the tubes into an 8 by 11-inch glass baking dish and cover with the tomato sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the taralli until it forms coarse crumbs. Measure 1 1/4 cups of the crumbs. Pulse the squid tentacles in the food processor to chop them fine, and pat them very dry with paper towels.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add the squid tentacles, and spread them out. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then add the butter, garlic and red-pepper flakes to taste. Cook, stirring, until the garlic just starts to color, about 1 minute.
• Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and stir in the taralli crumbs and lemon zest. The crumbs should look like wet, clumpy sand. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle in a little more wine, and allow the filling to cool until just warm.
• Stuff each squid body with the filling, leaving the bottom and top inches unfilled (the stuffing will expand as it cooks). Secure the tops with toothpicks, and season all over with salt.
• Make the sauce: In a wide, deep pan, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes to taste and the garlic, and cook until fragrant and just beginning to color. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the calamari and any extra stuffing, and bring back to a very gentle simmer.
• Cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to make sure the sauce maintains a lazy bubble. Adjust with salt to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Serve with bread or pasta.

STUFFED SQUID SICILIAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Blanch the chard in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and cool under running water. Squeeze chard completely dry and finely chop. Set aside.
• Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Add fennel fronds, fennel seed, anchovy, garlic, oregano and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes more.
• Turn off heat and transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add pine nuts, lemon zest, bread crumbs, cheese and reserved cooked chard. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste and correct seasoning.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using a teaspoon, put some filling in each squid body, taking care not to overstuff. Place stuffed squid in an earthenware baking dish in one layer. Season squid on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season tentacles with salt and pepper and arrange them around the edge of dish (alternatively, arrange tentacles in a separate baking dish). Drizzle tentacles lightly with oil. Spoon any remaining stuffing over tentacles.
• Roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until squid bodies are puffed, sizzling and lightly browned. If desired, run pan under the broiler for more color. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. (May also be served at room temperature.) Serve each person 3 or 4 squid, with tentacles.

ITALIAN STUFFED CALAMARI RECIPE

Steps:

• Once you have cleaned the calamari and separated the tentacles from the body, chop the tentacles into very small pieces on a cutting board.
• Cook over medium heat the small pieces of tentacles in a frying pan with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one clove of garlic and a pinch of salt to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of white wine and let it evaporate over high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes. Then turn off and set aside.
• Soften the bread in a little water then squeeze well to remove the excess and put it in a bowl. Remove the garlic from the frying pan. Chop the garlic and 1 tablespoon of parsley together then add them to the bread. Mix and add these ingredients to the squid in the frying pan.
• Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring well. Let it cool down a bit then transfer to a bowl. Now add the egg and Parmigiano cheese. Stir to mix the ingredients. The filling is ready.
• Fill the calamari tubes 3/4 of the way with a teaspoon. Close the stuffed squid tubes with some toothpicks and set them aside.
• In a frying pan, sauté a clove of garlic in three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the stuffed squid tubes and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Then add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of white wine and let it evaporate over high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and cut them into pieces.
• add the chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and a pinch of fine salt to taste. Cook covered with a lid over low heat for about 30 minutes. Gently flip the squid two or three times during cooking. When calamari are cooked, remove the toothpicks and serve

ITALIAN STUFFED SQUID HOODS

Steps:

• Combine the breadcrumbs, feta, olives, chilli and oregano in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the mixture into the squid hoods and close the ends with toothpicks to secure.
• Lightly spray with oil.
• Preheat a grill pan or frypan preferably non stick and cook the squid heads for about 2 mins each side till cooked but be careful not to overcook or they will be tough.
• Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 serving plates.
• Cut the squid into thick slices and arrange on the lettuce and serve with lemon wedges and toast.