Baked Stuffed Squid
Submitted by aja119
Greek baked stuffed squid filled with rice, pine nuts, raisins, mint, and parsley in a tomato-white wine sauce. A traditional Mediterranean recipe slow-baked until the squid is fork-tender.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
90 minREADY
120 minThis is the kind of dish that turns squid skeptics into believers. The Greek approach of stuffing squid with a rice-based filling that includes pine nuts, raisins, fresh mint, and parsley might sound unlikely, but the combination of sweet, herbal, and savory inside a braised squid sac is one of the better things Mediterranean cooking has given us.
The filling starts with onion cooked gently in olive oil until transparent, then rice sauteed until golden. That golden-rice step is important: it adds a nutty flavor and partially seals the grains so they absorb liquid slowly during the long bake without turning to mush. The raisins and pine nuts go in with parsley, mint, and wine, then just enough water to half-cover. The stuffing should still be partially undercooked when it goes into the squid, because the rice finishes cooking inside the sac during the 1.5-hour bake.
Leave room in each sac for the rice to expand, and close them with toothpicks. Overfilling causes blowouts.
The seafood bakes in a tomato-white wine sauce, and the slow, gentle heat transforms the squid from chewy to silky.
Chef Tips
- Don’t overfill the sacs: Rice expands as it cooks. Fill each sac about two-thirds and seal well.
- Include the heads and tentacles: They bake alongside and contribute gelatin to the sauce.
- The rice must be par-cooked, not fully cooked: The goal is golden, barely softened grains that finish in the squid.
- Serve warm or cold: Cold baked stuffed squid is an outstanding room-temperature dish the next day.
Variations
- Add currants instead of raisins: Smaller and less sweet, they distribute more evenly through the rice filling.
- Calamari rings: If whole squid is unavailable, this filling can be used to stuff large calamari tubes, which are easier to find.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash and clean the squid, separating the outer sacs from the heads and tentacles, removing and discarding the translucent cartilage, and small sand bag and ink. Rub salt on the outer sacs and rinse them inside and out with cold water. Heads and tentacles should be rinsed thoroughly and cooked along with the sacs after you stuff the latter. Drain and set aside.
Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a heavy frying pan, then add the onion and cook, without browning, until transparent. Stir in the rice and sauté a few minutes, until golden. Blend in the parsley, mint, 2 tablespoons wine, pine nuts, and raisins, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add enough water to half cover and cook for a few minutes, then stuff the squid sacs with the mixture using a very small spoon and allowing enough liquid in each for the rice to cook. Seal opening with skewers or toothpicks. Place the stuffed sacs with the heads and tentacles in a baking-serving dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, ⅓ cup wine, and a little salt and pepper in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the squid and dribble the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top. Bake in a medium-slow oven (300 F) for 1½ hours or until the squid and rice are tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve warm or cold.
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