(Serves 4)
12 medium-sized squid
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water for 30 minutes, chopped
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs
2 (500 grams) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Clean the squid by removing the head, fins, and all contents in the body. Peel off the skin and rinse the tubes. Remove the tentacles from the head. Chop the tentacles fine and set aside for the stuffing. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the chopped tentacles. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, anchovies, capers, pine nuts, raisins, 1/2 cup parsley and eggs. Add the tentacle mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Stuff the squid tubes with the mixture and seal each with a toothpick. Place the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the stuffed squid and brown on all sides. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove the toothpicks.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with remaining parsley.
Source: Mangiabenepasta.com
Calamari Stuffed With Bread Crumbs, Pine Nuts & Raisins
- by XpatAthens
- Friday, 20 February 2015
Squid lends itself to many other cooking methods, one of them being stuffed and baked. Calamari meat is firm and white with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Many people believe that calamari is 'as tough as rubber bands' but when properly prepared it is a surprisingly tender and delicious seafood dish. In recent years it has become common to find cleaned squid in local fish markets. For stuffed squid, buy squid tubes or bodies that are about 4 to 6 inches long. Rinse the squid well before stuffing them. Fill the tubes with the stuffing without over-packing them so they don't burst during cooking. Although I've seen people sew the end of the tubes closed with a needle and thread, I find that simply closing them with a toothpick is adequate.