Flavorful stuffed squid braised in tomato sauce until super tender
We are all big fans of Calamari (squid for the rest of you) here in the Simply Sunday’s household
Actually, if I was going to order Calamari in an Italian neighborhood it might sound like:
“I’d like some Galamad!” (Gal-a-Mad!)
Phonetically speaking of course
Now, typically you get this fried in rings (sliced from the mantle) and the tentacles as well and it is very delicious
However there is another delicious way to serve this that we first had in an Italian restaurant in Boston
It is stuffed squid that is basically braised in a tomato sauce
Now I’m going to give you the rule of thumb for cooking squid
You should either cook it fast in a fry or saute or slow in a sauce
Otherwise, it can become rubbery and chewy
I have heard it a million times
“You like squid?” “It’s like rubber!”
That just means it was cooked incorrectly
The base of this dish is a good sauce so lets start there
We will need two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves ( sliced), 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Add the olive oil to an oven proof pan over medium heat
Add the garlic and crushed red pepper
Cook for around 2 minutes moving constantly to avoid burning
Add in the crushed tomatoes
Next add in chopped fresh parsley and the seasonings
Stir together and allow to simmer while you work on the squid
We have 8 whole squid
Some of the prep has been done, but there is more to do
We need to separate the squid into usable and unusable parts
Sometimes the ink quills are also intact and need to be removed
These will be long clear straw like parts that will be inside the mantle (the ink quills are not pictured here)
Basically, I pull the wings off and discard, cut the tentacles away from the head (keep the short tentacles, discard the head)
Each squid will have 2 very long tentacles that I remove and discard as well
These are the cleaned mantles that we will set aside for now
If you slice the mantle along its width, you would get the rings used in fried calamari
Time to work on the filling
To start, we will need the tentacles (chopped up), 4 garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
I like to grate the garlic
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat
Add in the chopped tentacles, garlic and spices
Saute for 2 minutes then remove from heat
Preheat your oven to 375 F
Next we will need 3/4 cups of plain bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the sauce we made and some fresh parsley
Add the bread crumb, parmesan, sauce and chopped parsley to the pan
Mix all the ingredients together
Using a teaspoon and your fingers scoop the bread crumb mixture into the squid
I use around 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing to start then you can go back and add to each one until there is no more bread crumb mixture
Try to leave a little gap at the end because the bread crumb mixture will expand
Secure the ends with tooth picks
Toss the squid gently in the sauce to coat
Then start placing them in a single layer
Be sure not to overcrowd them
Cover and place in the oven
Bake for 30 minutes
The squid should be very tender
Remember to remove the tooth picks
We sliced the squid and gave it a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
We served this with a side of pasta
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Stuffed Squid
Ingredients
8 whole squid
For the sauce
2 cans of crushed tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
For the stuffing
Squid tentacles (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (grated)
3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of sauce
fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of your favorite pasta for serving (optional)
Directions
For the sauce
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven proof pan on medium heat. Add 3 sliced garlic cloves to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add in two 28 ounces cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir together and allow to simmer while you work on the squid
Remove the wings from the mantle (discard the wings). Separate the head from the tentacles and discard the head. Check the mantle to ensure there are no ink quills which are long, clear and straw like. If there are quills remove and discard as well. Set the mantle aside
For the stuffing
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the reserved tentacles (chopped), 4 garlic cloves (grated) and 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher slat, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes then remove from heat
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Add 3/4 cup of plain bread crumb, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese,1/2 cup of sauce and chopped parsley to the pan. Mix all the ingredients together
Using a teaspoon and your fingers scoop the bread crumb mixture into the squid. Start with around 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing to start then you can go back and add to each one until there is no more bread crumb mixture. Try to leave a little gap at the end because the bread crumb mixture will expand. Secure the ends with tooth picks
Toss the squid gently in the sauce to coat then place in a single layer. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. The squid should be very tender. Remember to remove the tooth picks. Slice the squid and give it a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a side of pasta (optional)
Tools used to make this recipe
Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set
Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board
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