THE baked squid au gratin they are an excellent solution for a fish dish economic, easy to prepare and lighter, for example, than its fried variant. They are perfect as an appetizer, but also served as a main course, accompanied by baked zucchini, or delicious patatas bravas. The advantage of cooking in the oven is undoubtedly the reduced caloric intake, but also the fact that you do not have to wash pans soiled with oil, no splashes to clean, not to mention the much feared smell of fried, completely absent. You will want to cook baked squid au gratin every week! For this dish it is absolutely recommended to use very fresh squid of medium / large size. For the quantity needed for this recipe, the expense it should not exceed € 20/25. The freshness of the squid is what will guarantee it softness. However, if the budget available is limitedyou can opt for those frozen foods, taking care to dry them very well before covering them with the breading and pass them through a sieve to remove the excess breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can also use the squid, even more cheap, keeping in mind that they will remain a little less soft, and the taste will not be as intense. THE baked squid au gratin they should be enjoyed fresh from the oven, this is how they will unleash their full potential of texture, aroma, flavor and perfect!

Preparation

1

Clean the squid: separate the head and tentacles from the rest of the body, also remove all the entrails. Keep the tentacles, you will use them together with the rest of the squid. Remove the bone inside, a hard transparent bone.

2

Wash under cold running water, also thoroughly cleaning the interior where residues of entrails and eggs may remain.

3

Dry the squid very well with a clean kitchen towel, if necessary use more than one. The squid must be completely dry.

4

With the help of a pair of scissors, cut them into rings of about 0.5 cm

5

Remove any skin from each ring.

6

Prepare a mix with semolina flour, breadcrumbs and salt on a plate, mix.

7

Pass all the rings in the breadcrumbs. Also pass the tentacles. The entire surface, internal and external, must be covered, help yourself with your fingers where the breading does not fix itself.

8

Transfer the squid to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

9

Drizzle with a little oil and cook in a static oven at 180 ° C for 20 minutes.

It is good to check cooking from time to time, as not all ovens are the same. When i baked squid au gratin they will have just turned golden, take them out of the oven. Extending cooking could make them stringy.

Once extracted from the oven, you can sprinkle them by squeezing lemon directly on top, or serving slices of lemon on a saucer to the table, and let everyone use them.

Accessories

• Scissors
• kitchen cloth
• Oven tray + parchment paper
• Oven
• Large bowl
• Chopping board
• 1 or more kitchen cloths (dish towel or paper towel)

Tips and hints

• How to have soft squid and not gummy: buy them fresh and respect the cooking time maniacally. An extra minute could already compromise its consistency.

• How to tell if i squid I am fresh: they have the skin well attached to the body, the turgid “tufts”, the color tending to purple and the scent of the sea. If the smell they give off is similar to ammonia, it is best to look elsewhere.

• Buy the squid from your trusted fishmonger, asking them directly to clean them.

• If you do not find the large squid you can buy those already cut.

• It is possible to replace the semolina breading by passing them in chopped bread with garlic and parsley, salt, pepper.

storage

THE baked squid au gratin they can be kept for a maximum of two days, in the fridge, in a closed container. To heat them, use a non-stick pan, or the oven. Do not use a microwave oven.