Sicilian Calamari Recipes

CALAMARI

Steps:

• Cut the squid into rings or strips and separate the tentacles. Place in a bowl with the milk and garlic for a couple of hours.
• Mix all the dry elements of the batter together in a bowl. When ready to cook, take a suitable pan and fill it 1/3 with oil. Heat but do not let the oil smoke. If you have a thermometer heat to 200 degrees C. If you do not have a thermometer place a small cube of white bread in the pan. If it browns in 5 to 10 seconds the oil is at the correct temperature.
• When ready, mix the icy lemonade with the egg and then into the dry batter ingredients. It should resemble melted ice cream.
• Dust each piece of the squid in flour, then into the batter, shaking off the excess. Carefully drop into the oil and cook for approx 2 minutes until golden. Cook as much as you can cope with at a time, but do not overfill the pan. When golden remove onto kitchen towel to drain.
• Serve with lemon, salt and pepper.

PAN-SEARED CALAMARI WITH SPICY MARINARA OVER LINGUINE

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet and a small saucepot. To both, add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add calamari to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Then to both, add pasta sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until calamari is tender. Reserve tomato sauce in the saucepot for another meal.
• Transfer linguine to a serving platter. Spoon all of the calamari and tomato sauce over linguine. Garnish with basil, if desired.

CALAMARI MARINARA

Steps:

• Drizzle olive oil into saucepan (not over heat). Add onions, Serrano pepper, garlic, anchovy filet, red pepper flakes, and salt. Place pot over medium-high heat. When onions start to sizzle after a minute or so, stir and cook until onions and garlic just start to turn golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in wine.
• Cook until wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
• Transfer calamari to sauce pot; stir gently. Simmer until calamari are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• Stir some sauce into the hot, drained pasta. Serve in warm bowls topped with more marinara sauce and grated cheese.

STUFFED SQUID SICILIAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Blanch the chard in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and cool under running water. Squeeze chard completely dry and finely chop. Set aside.
• Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Add fennel fronds, fennel seed, anchovy, garlic, oregano and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes more.
• Turn off heat and transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add pine nuts, lemon zest, bread crumbs, cheese and reserved cooked chard. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste and correct seasoning.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using a teaspoon, put some filling in each squid body, taking care not to overstuff. Place stuffed squid in an earthenware baking dish in one layer. Season squid on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season tentacles with salt and pepper and arrange them around the edge of dish (alternatively, arrange tentacles in a separate baking dish). Drizzle tentacles lightly with oil. Spoon any remaining stuffing over tentacles.
• Roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until squid bodies are puffed, sizzling and lightly browned. If desired, run pan under the broiler for more color. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. (May also be served at room temperature.) Serve each person 3 or 4 squid, with tentacles.

EASY CALAMARI RECIPE WITH GARLIC LIME SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tbsp of unsalted butter. Turn heat to medium-high and add the garlic, saute briefly, tossing regularly, until fragrant (this should take seconds, garlic should only gain a little color, do not burn it.)
• Pat calamari dry and add to the pan, cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat (calamari will release some liquid.) Add white wine and lime juice. Cook briefly to warm though (do not overcook or calamari will turn rubbery. You are just looking for the sauce to warm through) Season with salt and pepper. If you like a little spice, add a pinch of cayenne.
• Finally, stir in the fresh dill. Remove from heat and serve (see serving suggestions in notes)

FRESH SICILIAN MARINATED CALAMARI SALAD

Steps:

• Wash Squid well and cut Body into 1/2 inch slices (rings) and depending on the size of the squid halve tentacles lengthwise, if on the small side leave whole.
• In a large Stock Pot add water with salt and bring to a boil. Place Squid in pot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the squid is firm, do not cook too much or it will come rubbery.
• Put the squid in ice water to prevent further cooking.
• Drain the water and pat the squid dry
• Place in a large mixing bowl and add the Olive Oil, Vinegar, Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Parsley and Celery and mix well. Let marinate for a few hours or better overnight. Serve with Lemon Wedges

ITALIAN STUFFED CALAMARI RECIPE

Steps:

• Once you have cleaned the calamari and separated the tentacles from the body, chop the tentacles into very small pieces on a cutting board.
• Cook over medium heat the small pieces of tentacles in a frying pan with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one clove of garlic and a pinch of salt to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of white wine and let it evaporate over high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes. Then turn off and set aside.
• Soften the bread in a little water then squeeze well to remove the excess and put it in a bowl. Remove the garlic from the frying pan. Chop the garlic and 1 tablespoon of parsley together then add them to the bread. Mix and add these ingredients to the squid in the frying pan.
• Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring well. Let it cool down a bit then transfer to a bowl. Now add the egg and Parmigiano cheese. Stir to mix the ingredients. The filling is ready.
• Fill the calamari tubes 3/4 of the way with a teaspoon. Close the stuffed squid tubes with some toothpicks and set them aside.
• In a frying pan, sauté a clove of garlic in three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the stuffed squid tubes and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Then add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of white wine and let it evaporate over high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and cut them into pieces.
• add the chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and a pinch of fine salt to taste. Cook covered with a lid over low heat for about 30 minutes. Gently flip the squid two or three times during cooking. When calamari are cooked, remove the toothpicks and serve

STUFFED CALAMARI, SICILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Clean the 12 large squid tubes; remove skin and cartilage inside the squid and rinse and clean. In a large pan saute onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft. In a large bowl, combine the Sauteed onions, 1/2 cup of olive oil, garlic, 1 cup pecorino, 1/2 cup parsley, and the bread crumbs and mix well. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil to make the bread crumbs soft. Add the raisins last. Fill the squid tubes with the mixture and secure with a toothpick at the top opening. Lay the tubes in a baking pan with a little oil in the bottom of the pan, and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of pecorino and an additional 1/4 cup of parsley. Put pan back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, mix crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside.