Seared Calamari With White Beans And Chorizo Food

SALAD OF MARINATED CHARRED SQUID WITH CANNELLINI BEANS, ROCKET, AND CHILE

Steps:

• Try to get your fishmonger to skin and gut the squid for you. Score the squid lightly in a casual criss-cross fashion. Set it aside while you get a griddle pan very, very hot. You can also use a wok or the barbecue.
• Season the squid lightly with salt and pepper just before cooking, then add it to the pan. After a minute, it should be nicely charred, so turn it over and cook for a further minute. Remove the squid from the pan and set aside.
• Heat up the cannellini beans and sprinkle them into a bowl. Add the sliced chiles to the bowl with the rocket, lemon juice, and olive oil, and season. Cut the squid at irregular angles and toss it in with the rest of the ingredients. A good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over the top will finish it off nicely.

STEWED CHICKPEAS AND CALAMARI

Steps:

• Quick soak the chickpeas by putting them into a large heavy bottomed pot and covering them with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the chickpeas and return them to the pot. Cover them with fresh water by about 2-inches, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until they are tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Drain and set aside.
• Clean out the pot and put it back on the stove over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, chili, thyme, and bay leaves until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Hand-crush the tomatoes and add them with their juice to the pot along with 1 cup of water. Add the chickpeas, roasted peppers, and calamari and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down and simmer until all the flavors have blended and the calamari is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve in small dishes with a drizzle of olive oil.

WHITE BEAN AND CHORIZO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pan, heat the olive oil over high heat, and saute the sausage, until it crisps, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pieces on a paper towel, and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the onion and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add in the garlic, thyme, and paprika and continue cooking and stirring, until the herbs are fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Return the chorizo to the pan along with the stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add in the beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season the soup with the sea salt and black pepper before serving.

WHITE BEANS WITH CHORIZO, CLAMS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook chorizo in olive oil until some of the fat is rendered and it begins to brown, about 5 minutes; add in the bell pepper and cook until it begins to soften, 3 minutes.
• Add in onion and cook 5 minutes; add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add in the beans, water, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, cover tightly and place in oven for one hour.
• Season with salt, stir, replace cover and cook in oven until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer.
• The consistency should be like a thin stew (if not add more water, 1/4 cup at a time); discard bay leaf and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary, and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add in garlic and parsley and cook until fragrant 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add in white wine and reduce to a thin syrup, about 3 minutes; stir in crushed tomatoes and let cook until slightly reduced, 5 minutes.
• Add in the shrimp and clams, cover tightly, increase heat to high and cook, shaking pan frequently, until clams have opened, about 5 minutes.
• Gently stir clams into beans and heat through; season to taste with more salt, if needed.
• Ladle stew into shallow soup or pasta bowls and sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons of peperoncini and parsley.

SEARED CALAMARI WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Blanch basil in a small saucepan of boiling water 15 seconds, then drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
• Drain basil and squeeze out excess liquid, then purée in a blender with olive oil, water, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until dressing is bright green and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Cut each body sac of calamari lengthwise along seam to open into a flat piece; rinse well. Pat calamari dry, then cut body sacs into 1-inch pieces and halve any large tentacles lengthwise.
• Toss beans, tomatoes, celery, and onion with 1/3 cup basil dressing, then gently toss with greens. Season with salt and lemon juice, then divide among 4 plates.
• Heat griddle over high heat until hot. Meanwhile, toss calamari with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Brush griddle with vegetable oil, then cook calamari in 1 layer, stirring occasionally with tongs, until browned in spots and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide calamari among salads; drizzle with some of remaining dressing.

GRILLED CALAMARI WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Place beans in large saucepan. Pour enough water over beans to cover by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Add onion, thyme, and bay leaf to beans; simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain. Discard onion, thyme, and bay leaf; return beans to saucepan.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir shallots into beans. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring and adding more water to moisten if necessary, before serving.)
• Place calamari tentacles in medium bowl. Cut calamari bodies lengthwise in half. Using sharp knife, score bodies at 1/2-inch intervals in lattice pattern (do not cut through). Add to bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, and garlic; toss to coat. Let stand 1 hour.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drain calamari; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill just until slightly curled at edges, about 30 seconds per side.
• Stir parsley into warm beans. Divide beans among 6 plates. Top with calamari. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons oil over. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.