Spicy Calamari With Fregola Food

SPICY CALAMARI WITH FREGOLA

Steps:

• Spread the calamari on a baking sheet and pat dry as best you can with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet over high heat. Add calamari and quickly stir-fry, cooking for only 1 minute, until puffed. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
• Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add crushed red pepper, anchovy and garlic and let sizzle, then add onions and stir well.
• Season onions generously and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and faintly colored. Add saffron and wine and simmer for 1 minute, then add tomato and broth. Adjust heat so sauce simmers gently for about 10 minutes, until flavors are well mingled. Taste for salt and hot pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil. Add fregola and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
• Add par-cooked calamari to the sauce over high heat. Add basil leaves and stir well until everything is heated through and calamari are completely cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and fold in cooked fregola. Sprinkle with oregano, add a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and serve.

STUFFED CALAMARI WITH SNAPPER AND FREGOLA IN A BURST CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add the cherry tomatoes; toss to combine and coat with the oil. Add the chicken stock and cook until tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes. Hold over medium-low heat.
• For the fregola: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fregola and cook according to package instructions. Drain and toss with the corn. Season with salt.
• For the stuffed calamari: Combine rock shrimp, breadcrumbs, parsley and some salt in a food processor. Pulse to a thick paste; add olive oil if needed. Transfer the shrimp paste to a medium pastry bag and pipe into the calamari until three-quarters full. Seal the calamari with skewers.
• Simmer the stuffed calamari in the tomato sauce for 5 minutes. Flip and simmer until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes.
• For the snapper: Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the snapper with salt on both sides. Place the fish in the hot pan, skin-side up, for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the reverse side for an additional minute or until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan.
• To serve: Spoon the fregola and corn onto a plate, place a snapper fillet and some stuffed calamari on top. Top with tomato sauce.

FRIED CALAMARI WITH SPICY RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir until the tomato paste is thoroughly incorporated. Add the crushed tomatoes to a food mill and process the tomatoes directly into the pot. Add the grated carrots and season with kosher salt. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover and put aside to keep warm.
• Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with paper towels.
• Add the rice flour, semolina flour, pepper and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large shallow dish and mix until thoroughly combined. Working in 3 batches, toss the calamari, pickled pepper slices and rosemary sprigs in the seasoned flour, then scoop them out with a pasta spider and shake off the excess; transfer to the oil. Fry for 90 seconds, then remove to the paper towels and season with flaky sea salt. Repeat until all the calamari is cooked.
• Serve with the lemon wedges and spicy marinara on the side.

SPICY FRIED CALAMARI WITH LEMON AIOLI

Steps:

• For the Calamari place the flour and Cajun spice mix in a large bowl and mix. Add the squid and turn until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Shake off the excess mixture.
• In a large, heavy pot or deep-fryer over medium heat, heat the oil to 375°F or until almost smoking.
• Fry the squid for 2 to 3 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges and Lemon Aioli.
• For the Lemon Aioli place the zest, juice, mustard, garlic, egg yolks, pepper, salt, and bread in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste.
• With the machine running, drizzle in the oil. If the aioli appears too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time to adjust the consistency. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

SPICY CALAMARI AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet. Add garlic, ginger, red hot pepper and heat for 5 minutes.
• Add calamari and vegetables. Turn up heat and stir fry quickly until calamari is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

FIVE-SPICE CALAMARI WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• For dipping sauce:
• Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in processor. Blend well. Transfer to bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk before serving.)
• For calamari:
• Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in heavy large pot. Heat to 350°F. Whisk next 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk into another large bowl. Add calamari to buttermilk. Working in batches, remove calamari; dredge in flour mixture. Fry until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm with sauce.
• *Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
• **A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets.