Squids are among the molluscs most appreciated by adults and children and we often eat them fried, in the form of crunchy rings. But thanks to their flavor, to the delicate but tasty meat, there are many recipes we can try our hand at. THE stuffed squid I am the antechamber to heaven. This is a really simple preparation, which uses the shape of the squid itself as for many other recipes. The squid has an elongated body of a reddish dotted color, with rather long lateral fins. Several tentacles depart from the mouth, and two of these are longer than the others, presenting suckers towards the end. While it is easy to distinguish squid from cuttlefish, they are easier to recognize, since they have a larger and stockier body, inside which is the famous cuttlefish bone, a chalky shell. The squid often can be confused with squid. The main difference concerns the lateral fins, smaller and triangular in shape for the squid, they are more extended in the squid. The color of the squid is also lighter and tending towards orange. There are also differences in the yield in the kitchen. Squid meat is softer, more valuable and expensive than squid, with a more crunchy texture. Better to buy whole squid in order not to be mistaken and to be able to verify their freshness, instead of rings and tufts of which you cannot be sure of the species they belong to. For this recipe we need medium to large squid, also because they are more resistant in cooking. If we used small squid, which are often found already clean, or in the freezer counter, during cooking the squid would be more likely to break with loss of the filling. We choose fresh squid, which have the skin attached to the body, and well turgid tentacles. For the filling we can range from a classic mix of bread, parsley and garlic, already revised in many other recipes, or customize and enrich it to our liking. Even with regards to cooking, we can choose whether to proceed in a pan or in the oven. It is precisely in terms of cooking that the only pitfall of this recipe hides. To avoid the annoying rubbery consistency, we will have to cook, depending on the recipe and the size of the squid, or for a short time, and then 5 minutesor for a very long time, about 40 minutes. Finally, we can serve our squid whole or sliced, garnished with a reduction of the sauce we obtained from cooking, and accompany them with a light side of green salad, or with cherry tomatoes and rocket, or simply roasted potatoes.

Preparation

1

We clean the squid: we separate the head with the tentacles, from the rest of the body, also pulling away the entrails. We wash under running water, also cleaning the inside in which residues of entrails and eggs may remain. We remove the bone inside, a hard transparent bone. We clean the head by removing the eye with a pair of scissors, and remove the skin. We wash under water. With the knife we ​​reduce the head and tentacles into small pieces.

2

We can choose whether to remove the skin or not. In that case, just rub and pull from the edges, and it will come off easily. We rinse under water.

3

In a pan, heat a little oil and brown the chopped tentacles for a few minutes. Let it cool down.

4

In a bowl, combine the bread cut into cubes, the chopped garlic and parsley, the Parmesan, salt and pepper. We add the egg and mix. And finally we combine the browned tentacles.

5

Using a teaspoon, fill the squid with the freshly prepared filling. We leave about 1 cm from the edge, which we will close with a toothpick.

6

In a pan, heat a little oil, brown the onion and add the squid, which we let go over high heat for a few minutes to seal. Let’s blend with white wine.

7

We lower the heat, and let it cook for about 40 minutes. Times may vary based on the size of the squid. If you have chosen medium-small squid, 5-10 minutes will suffice.

storage

Stuffed squid can be kept for two days, in the fridge, in a closed container.

Variants

Andalusian stuffed calamari are filled with carrots, onions, breadcrumbs, hard-boiled egg and parsley. All cooked in a tomato sauce.

We can also prepare the filling by replacing the eggs with a few tablespoons of milk to mix and soften the mixture.

We can also cook our squid in the oven, for 10-15 minutes at 180 ° C.

Curiosity

Do we need any excuses to enjoy this guilt-free recipe? Squid are sources of mineral salts, such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus. There is no shortage of vitamins. The low percentage of fat makes it a suitable food even if we are on a low calorie diet.