The Stuff-ing That Dreams Are Made Of ………. Calamari Ripieni ….. Stuffed Calamari
January 6, 2011 in Uncategorized
There are only two rules that you need to obey when cooking calamari – Rule 1 -either you wave it over the coals for a millisecond and serve immediately or – Rule 2 – you bung it in a sauce on your stove top for hours and hours and go outside and cut the grass and paint your house. If you don’t heed the calamari Gods be prepared to get lock-jaw as you chew away at the equivalent of a pot of Michelin tyres.
Max’s girlfriend, Tiffany, left for Barbados and life on the ocean wave for a while just before Christmas … drama! As you can imagine I had two forlorn – kissing Gourami fish named Romeo and Giuglietta – joined by any and all appendages, at home for a while. We had last this’s and last that’s for about a week and seeing as Tiff was not going to be sitting at our Christmas table, I decided to prepare a Christmas/ Bon Voyage dinner for her just before her departure – anything to lighten the mood.
Tiffany works in the food industry and really enjoys seafood so calamari it was! This is a fab summer dish – seafood – ice cold crisp white wine and celebrations go hand in hand. Make this dish a day in advance, which will actually improve the flavours – and you can be dressed, made up, coiffed and as cool and relaxed as a cucumber yourself when you serve your guests …………. Think Grace Kelly!
Starter
Cozze al vino bianco
Mussels in white wine
Mains
Calamari Ripieni di Scalopini
Patagonian Calamari stuffed with Scallops
Riso alla povera con Piselli
Rice prepared with white wine, rosemary and peas
Dessert
Amaretto Semi-Freddo
Amaretto Ice Cream (Tiff’s favourite)
I have been promising my school friend Dalene, this recipe since making this dish for Tiff in December. Dalene, sorry that this post has taken me FOREVER – but life tends to run away with so much frivolity and partaying over the festive season – and this mamma was having a ball and not doing too much blog posting!!! Hehehe …. So here you have it – it’s one of those dishes that should be on your stove early in the morning and left to gentle bubble away for hours – switched off and allowed to cool completely (another calamari trick I have learnt over the years) … the result is tender little angels pillows of stuffed calamari that you – your guests or your family will really enjoy!
Calamari Ripieni
I highly recommend that you use Patagonian calamari tubes for this for their excellent flavour and texture.
Calamari tubes about 1, 5 kg cleaned and rinsed.
For the Stuffing:
Scallops (or Prawns or crab meat) about 200g
Fresh bread crumbs – 1 cup
150g Pecorino or Haloumi Cheese
3 onions finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Herbs – oregano, thyme, and rosemary finely chopped
1 egg
A grating of nutmeg
Parmesan cheese
Salt and Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
A handful of toothpicks
Gently fry the onions and garlic in some butter and a little olive oil until translucent. Set aside to cool.
Clean the scallops and chop finely. – I leave on the pretty orange scallop roe as I feel that this is where most of the best flavour is.
In a large bowl add the bread crumbs – finely chopped herbs – finely grated cheese – egg – cooled onion, about ½ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg if you have and season well. NB NB NB: You need to make sure that your stuffing is really well seasoned – this is where stuffing can be quite disappointing – you need to PACK IN THE FLAVOUR and make sure that it’s a bit punchy if it’s going to survive all the cooking processes and still deliver great flavour.
This is the nice gooey bit – using your hand – squish all of the stuffing and mix it well so that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Wash hands – and place all of the stuffing into a piping bag with a plain or no nozzle. If you don’t have a piping bag – use a Ziploc bag – squeeze all of the stuffing into one corner – twist the end so that you have control over the stuffing and snip of the corner to create a hole SMALLER than the opening of your calamari’s ……. And Stuff away!! I love this bit! When each tube has been filled up about 2/3 – close the end with a toothpick and set aside. The stuffing does expand during the cooking so don’t over fill it or your little angel pillows will ooze stuffing into your sauce and B0GGER it up!!!!
Pat each stuffed calamari dry and brown them in a little oil and butter in a pot big enough to make your sauce in. Set them aside.
Now for the sauce – In the same pot that you have browned the stuffed calamari’s in :
For the Sauce:
2 – 4 onions finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 large tins of Italian Peeled tomatoes – liquidised
2 chicken stock cubes
Plenty of black pepper
A bouquet garni of herbs – thyme, parsley, basil and oregano
½ bottle of great South African red wine
Add a little more olive oil to the pot and brown your onions and garlic
Add half a bottle of red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot and stir until all of the alcohol has cooked out.
Add the liquidised tinned tomatoes – 2 chicken stock cubes – or fresh stock if you happen to have – your bouquet garni and some black pepper and bring to the boil for about 10 minutes then reduce to a nice slow – slow – gentle simmer.
Pop your browned and stuffed calamari back into the pot and leave for a few hours – at least 2 – to gently bubble away and suck up all of those amazing flavours.
You need to taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.
When they are ready – put the lid on the pot and switch off the stove and leave to cool completely – this slow cooling down of the calamari’s means that each one slowly relaxes and ensures nice tender calamari. My octopus salad is made like this – bring to the boil then slowly cool down! Melts in the mouth……….
Serve with a nice savoury rice dish or salad, lemon wedges and a fab glass of vino.
As always
Buon Appetito!
Xxxx
jan
Sous-Chef said on January 6, 2011
My mouth is watering! I have to try this, where did you buy the calamari?
bigbigjoe said on January 6, 2011
Fantastic, Jan! Now PLEEZZ gimme the recipe for your mussels!
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Sure angel – that will follow. How are you xxxx lotsa lurv from Durbs xxxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Hey there – The Seafood Market near makro – they have moved from where they were in Springfield park to – just down the way in Brickfield Road xxx any good fish monger should carry it – just ask them xxxx have a great day xxx jan
tandy.sinclair said on January 6, 2011
scrummy! did you know, South African calamari is considered the best in the world, so we send ours overseas and buy the second best to eat here – sad hey! Have a super day xox
Sous-Chef said on January 6, 2011
Thanks, I shall have to get next time I am in Durbs, we don’t have a fish monger in Pmb.
sharonsmit said on January 6, 2011
It looks divine!!! Lucky girl to have an boyfriend-mom-in-law like you!
xxxx
Hope you get a bit of sunshine today, Jnb not much better – too much rain!
canda1 said on January 6, 2011
Oh heavens, I know remember why I have been avoiding the blogs – way to many calories….that looks positively utterly delicious!!! xxx
SimoneB said on January 6, 2011
There are no words to describe how badly I want to eat that right now!!!
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Oh for heavens sake!!! Really Tandy – isn’t that just rediculous – our best fruit and now our best calamari – what next …… our wines!!! I didn’t know that at all! Grrrr ….. Thanks for letting me know xxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Thanks Sim – it is a great dish and it just improves day by day! Personally – i prefer it the next day cos the flavours are at their absolute best xxx Thanks angel xxxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Thanks sweetheart – i know – i have to try really hard to keep my hips in check! have an awesome week xxxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 6, 2011
Thanks Shaz – we did get some sunshine and I have just arrived home and the beautiful sky is dotted with loads of stars twinkling away! I hope tomorrow is great xxxx jan
forage said on January 7, 2011
wow> i have never attempted anything as complicated at this. it really looks truly delicious
janicetripepi said on January 8, 2011
Hi Forage – it’s a bit fiddly i will admit but that’s all – enlist the help of a friend – Daniele and I cooked this together so it made light work of all of the cleaning and stuffing of the calamari. Have a great 2011 xxx jan
Zabwan said on January 10, 2011
Hello Jan!!! This sounds quite divine, even though my experience of calamari is mostly of the car-tyre variety! Thanks for this gorgeous post xxx
Moonz said on January 10, 2011
Happy New Year Jan. May the best of 2010 be the worst of 2011 for you and kith and kin. Hope the young Romeo is coping without Tiff. Shampies.
Hugs to you doll xxx
BITSOFCAREY said on January 11, 2011
oh my goodness! This looks amazing! It must be quite an experience dining at your place! YUM! great post!
janicetripepi said on January 12, 2011
Hi Dinx and a very Happy Healthy & Prosperous New Year to you and yours. How are those beautiful grandbabbies of yours??? Lotsa love and hugs xxxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 12, 2011
Thanks my angel xxxxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 12, 2011
It’s the slow cooling down process after a few hours in the pot that does the trick. The trick with octopus is to throw a few corks into the water when you bring it to the boil !!!! My mum in laws secret weapon that it but amazingly enough it works ! xxx jan
janicetripepi said on January 20, 2011
Oi – Big Joe I am soooo sorry that this has taken FoR-EEEEEVER but here we go darling my simple mussels in creamy garlic and white wine. I hope that you make it – go wild with the garlic and black pepper ….. this is a ballsy – flavour packed version of the elegant french recipe. hehehe …… hope you enjoy angel xxxxxxx jan and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS XXXXXXX