I know. It looks fussy, doesn’t it? A fancy-shmancy tapas. I just wanted to have a little fun with the presentation because, well.. that’s what chefs do. In essence though, this is a pretty basic dish. Take a few squid, clean the suckers, chop some chorizo, onions, garlic, the tentacles of the aforementioned suckers and give it a good sautee in some Spanish olive oil. Add some bread crumbs to bind the mixture, a touch of piment d’espelette and fresh herbs and you’ve got a really tasty stuffing. Who said that cooking was difficult? .. You! ..In my office.. Now!

Squid are meant to be stuffed. Just look at ’em! They’re silly and unfortunate-looking creatures but we’re not here to feel sorry for squid-kind. We have our own problems so go ahead.. stuff the suckers like you don’t care. Seal the openings with a toothpick. Fry the stuffed tails in a small amount of Spanish olive oil, turning gently, until golden in color and you’ve got a really nice tapas. Don’t eat the toothpick, though. It hurts.

To stay with the Basque/Spanish theme, i made a puree of piquillo pepper to serve with. I also kept some of the tentacles and fried them at the last minute because, well.. who doesn’t like a good fried calamari? For the rest, use your imagination.. or look at the pictures.

Enjoy!

• Stuffed Squid with Chorizo, Piquillo Pepper, Black Olives & Basil Oil

• Serves 4 to 6
• 

• • For the stuffed squid:

  • 12 medium-sized squid + tentacles, cleaned
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 8 ounces chorizo, finely diced
  • salt & piment d’espelette, to taste
  • Spanish olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped
  • 2 or 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • fresh herbs, chopped

  • For the piquillo pepper coulis:

  • 6 piquillo peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon Spanish olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • salt & pepper to taste

  • to serve:

  • cockles
  • basil oil
  • black olives
  • basil leaves
  • fried tentacles

  For the stuffed squid:

  

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the chorizo and cook until it start to brown around the edges. Meanwhile, chop finely half the tentacles and add to the pan with the chorizo. Stir. Add the onions, the garlic, the thyme and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the bread crumbs, the chopped pine nuts, the herbs and stir. Season with salt and piment d’espelette to taste. Let it cool.
  • Stuff the squid with the mixture but do not overfill or they will break during cooking. Secure the top with a toothpick and refrigerate until ready to cook.
  • Heat some olive oil in a sautee pan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle some piment d’espelette over the squid and add to the pan. Cook gently for about 3 minutes on each side. You can finish cooking in a moderate oven.
    

    For the piquillo pepper coulis:

  • In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the chopped piquillo peppers. Add the chicken stock, the heavy cream and bring to a boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the bowl of a mixer and blend until smooth. Keep warm.

  To Serve:

  • Toss the leftover tentacles in flour and fry in canola oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Spoon some piquillo pepper coulis in the center of the plate. Add a drizzle of basil oil. Place the stuffed squid on top. Garnish with cockles, olives and basil leaves.

Tags: Appetizer, Seafood