The photo of this squid was taken in the fish market in Catania, however I have been extremely pleased with the squid from my fish vendor (Happy Tuna stall in the Queen Victoria Market) and I have been buying it frequently.
I particularly like char grilled calamari with a salmoriglio dressing (oil, lemon, parsley, oregano). However, a simple braised calamari is also a good alternative, especially in winter.
Calamaretti is the diminutive of calamari and Italians do mean small. This is a common recipe for braised calamaretti. In Australia it is often difficult to purchase small sized squid or cuttlefish, but do your best. A tegame, is a shallow pan.
For a main course you will need 3 kg of young calamari or more because they shrink. Potatoes and peas are often included in this dish.
INGREDIENTS
small squid, 3 kg
white wine,1 cup
flat leaf parsley, chopped, 1 cup
extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
onions, 2 chopped
potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes or chunks(estimate for 30mins cooking time)
tomato salsa, 1 cup
PROCESSES
TOMATO SALSA: fresh, peeled, ripe, chopped tomatoes or a can (with the liquid), a little extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves left whole, fresh basil or dried oregano and a little seasoning. Place all of the ingredients into a pan together and evaporate until thickened. Add a little sugar, more olive oil and some extra leaves of fresh basil.
Prepare the squid by removing the head with a sharp knife. Open the body and remove the internal organs. Retain the ink sacs and freeze them if you wish to use them at another time (see recipes……..).
Wash or wipe the squid and cut into strips.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the peeled chopped onions lightly.
Add the squid, stir for 3 minutes, and pour in the white wine, salsa and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes.
VARIATIONS
Add 4 chopped anchovies, to above recipe.
When in season add peas, (2 cups shelled).
MA2SBAE8REVW
Yes, the salmorigo on grilled calamari is very hard to beat indeed.
ReplyDeleteHi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pic of globe artichokes! After being disappointed last weekend when we went to buy the globe artichoke seelings at the Bittern Market and the stallholder want's there, Margo found some as good as the others had looked at a nursery near Monash. We've planted them in the front yard. One of our Italian neighbours asked what we had planted and commented that she really liked to eat artichokes too. This weekend is a perfect time, according to our moon planting chart, to also plant root vegetables, so the tree onions and garlic are going in as well.