Umami-rich squid is stuffed with more umami in the form of chorizo and than baked. Creating a deeply flavoured, absolutely delicious dish that is perfect with rice to soak up the sauce.
Serves - 4
Prep time - 30 mins
Cooking time - 30 mins
4 tbsp olive oil
6 banana shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250g chorizo sausage, skin removed and meat chopped
1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
100ml fino sherry or vermouth
2 lemons
80g dried breadcrumbs
8 squid (approx length 8-10cm), prepared by the fishmonger (ask to keep the tentacles)
8 rosemary sprigs
100g butter
250ml white wine
4 tbsp creme fraiche
2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp olive oil
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Gently fry the shallots until softening and starting to colour, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the chorizo and cook for 10 mins, stirring round occasionally. Stir in the leaves from the rosemary, oregano and the vinegar. Pour in the fino / vermouth and bubble for a minute to reduce. Take off the heat and stir in the zest from both lemons and the breadcrumbs. Now set this stuffing mix aside until ready to cook the squid.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Stuff the body of each squid with the chorizo mix. Don’t fill right to the top, as the squid shrink a little in the cooking. For the same reason, use a sharp knife to make a small hole in the pointed end of the body. Close each squid by poking a sprig of rosemary through the open top. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan or baking dish that can go on the stove. Lay the squid in a single layer once the butter is foaming and sear for 2 mins on each side. Pour over the wine, bubble for a minute, cover the pan and bake for 20mins. In the last 5 mins of their cooking time do two things: take the lid off the squid; and quickly fry the tentacles in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Give them a squeeze of the lemon zested earlier.
Gently lift the stuffed squid out of the pan onto a serving bowl or plates. Put the pan over a high heat, and whisk in the creme fraiche to make a sauce. Pour that over the squid, arrange the fried tentacles on top, sprinkle over the tarragon and capers, give a grinding of pepper, and serve.
(This recipe originally featured for Borough Market.)