Whole Baby Squid Stuffed With Pine Nuts Sultanas And Spinach On A Tomato And Basil Salad Food

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.

SPICY STUFFED SQUID

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 7x11 inch baking dish. In a saucepan bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Cut the head and tentacles from the body of the squid. Reserve and chop the tentacles. Remove the quill and peel the colored skin from the body. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
• In small bowl combine the rice, raisins and pine nuts.
• Saute 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet. Cook until soft. Add the chopped squid tentacles, and the rice mixture. Stir well and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet saute the onion and 4 cloves garlic until soft. Stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano. Add the tomatoes with juice, anchovy paste and wine. Stir and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the squid with the rice mixture and seal ends with wooden picks. Place squid in the prepared baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over all and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

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.

STUFFED SQUID

Steps:

• Finely chop tentacles. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté tentacles, stirring, until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cool.
• Stir tomatoes into oil in pot along with basil, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
• While sauce simmers, stir together Pecorino, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, eggs, sautéed tentacles, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently stuff each squid body with a slightly rounded tablespoon of bread-crumb mixture and pat squid to distribute filling evenly. Weave a wooden pick horizontally across wide opening of each squid to seal. (During cooking, stuffing will expand and squid will shrink, forming a rounded, well-stuffed squid.)
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté squid, turning over once, until browned and any liquid given off is evaporated, about 6 minutes total. Add squid to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until squid is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard picks and serve squid with sauce.

SQUID STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut off tentacles so that you have just the body cavity.
• Make sure to keep it whole so you can stuff it without leaks.
• Reserve the tentacles.
• Mix together the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, pepper, nutmeg,parsley and egg; set aside.
• Heat the oil at medium in a large heavy skillet or saucepan.
• Add the garlic.
• Stir and cook for a few seconds.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil and add tomato paste.
• Lower heat and add rosemary.
• Simmer sauce for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is simmering, stuff the body of each squid only about 1/3 full of the spinach/cheese mixture.
• If you overstuff them, they will explode.
• You might also want to poke a hole or two in the body of the squid.
• Fasten the opening of each squid with a toothpick.
• After the sauce has cooked, place the stuffed squid in the simmering sauce.
• Add the tentacles to the sauce.
• Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then turn carefully and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
• While the squid is cooking, melt the butter in a clean pan and toss the pine nuts in the butter until golden.
• Watch carefully; pine nuts have a tendency to burn.
• Lift out stuffed squid to a warm, flat serving dish with sides.
• Spoon sauce around and garnish with pine nuts.