Calamari recipes

[Kitchen Witch]

CALAMARI ALA CATANIA
A Sicilian style stuffed calamari!


8 large whole calamari
4 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh peas, shelled to yield 3/4 cup, blanched and refreshed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked 1/2 hour in warm water
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Clean the calamari. Remove the tentacles, finely chop them and set aside. Remove insides, being careful not to cut the stomach. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat oil until smoking. Add calamari tentacle pieces and cook until opaque ( no longer than 2 minutes). Add peas, garlic and sundried tomatoes, basil and stir through, about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley. Allow mixture to cool. Stuff bread mixture into each calamari until full and place in a 12 by 8-inch earthenware dish (just large enoughto hold calamari and sauce). Add wine and tomato sauce and stir to settle. Place in oven and bake 35 minutes. Remove and serve
Serves 4 or 8

[Kitchen Witch]

CALAMARI MARINARA
Excellent sauce for Pasta!


?1/4 cup Olive oil
?3 Cloves garlic, minced
?1 cup Onions, chopped fine
?1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
?2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
?2 pounds Squid, cleaned and sliced
?1/4 cup White wine
?1/4 cup Clam juice
?3 cups Marinara sauce, preferably home-made
?1 pinch Oregano
?Salt and pepper
?Crushed red pepper flakes


?Heat oil and saute garlic and onions until slightly brown. Add basil, parsley, squid, wine, clam juice, marinara sauce, oregano, salt and peppers. Cook until squid is tender.

[Kitchen Witch]

CALAMARI IN THE GREEK SYTLE
This says Mediterranean and Greece!


4 ounces virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Japanese eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 6 pieces each
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
12 baby calamari, whole, peeled and cleaned (about 11/2 pounds)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 bunch basil, chiffonade, to yield 1/8 cup


In a 12 inch to 14 inch saute pan, heat together oil, onion and garlic over medium high heat until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add eggplant and cook until just softened. Add tomatoes and lemon and season with salt and pepper and cook until they fall apart, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add calamari, season again, and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Add basil and toss. Arrange on platter and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

[Kitchen Witch]

GRILLED CALAMARI & WALLA WALLA ONION SALAD WITH GRILLED TOMATO
This salad with warm grilled calamari is an unforgettable culinary experience.


4 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 whole squid, skinned and cleaned
2 medium Walla Walla onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick, grilled
1/2 pound arugula
1/2 pound frisee
1 cup radicchio coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until just soft.

Brush calamari and onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill calamari for 3 minutes on each side. Grill onions on both sides until golden and tender.(This will take about 10-15 minutes) Toss greens with olive oil and lemon and season with salt and pepper. Arrange greens on a platter and top with calamari and onions, tomato and mint.

Yield: 4 servings

[Kitchen Witch]

GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI 'SUSHI' WITH BLACK BEAN AIOLI
Delicious with the black bean aioli dipping sauce!



1 red bell pepper fine diced
2 each lapchong, fine diced (may substitute with sausage)
2 cups cooked sushi rice
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
12 each medium sized squid tubes
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon chile powder (Korean or ancho)
Canola oil to cook

Pre-heat a grill very hot. In a skillet coat lightly with oil and on high heat, saute'
the pepper and lapchong until soft, about 4 minutes. Fold in with rice and add the
scallions, cilantro and oyster sauce. Season and check. Stuff the squid tubes using
a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off. Oil the grill and season the tubes
with salt, and chile. Mark the tubes, and roll them around so that all sides cook
evenly, about 4 minutes total. Be careful not to overcook the squid as it will get tough.
Let rest 1 minute then slice into one inch pieces, like sushi rolls.

BLACK BEAN AIOLI
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 each serrano chiles
1 tablespoon rinsed, minced fermented black beans
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 egg yolks
1 cup canola oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Sautee garlic, chiles, black beans and ginger until soft. Deglaze with vinegar and
reduce by 80%. Let cool completely. In a food processor, add mixture with yolks.
While processor is on, drizzle in oil, slowly at first until it emulsifies then more
quickly. Check for seasoning. Store in fridge.

PLATING
Fill a small dish with the aioli and arrange the "sushi" around the dish.
The "sushi" should be dipped before consumed.

Yield: 30 pieces each

[Kitchen Witch]

CALAMARI VENETO
A stuffed calamari maincourse that will dazzle your friends!


16 whole calamari (8 ounces each), cleaned
16 steamer clams
2 large dungeness crab, cooked, cleaned and cracked
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped raw shrimp
1 cup lobster meat (can use dungeness crab), cooked and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
Poaching sauce (recipe to follow)

Boil four calamari and the tentacles of the other 12 calamari for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute onion in oil until browned. Chop the cooked calamari and add to the onion mixture. Add shrimp, lobster, wine, pepper flackes, pine nuts, raisins and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and slowly stir in bread crumbs, mixing thoroughly. Set aside and let cool. When cool, fill a pastry bag (without a tip) with the mixture and pipe into each of the twelve remaining uncooked calamari. Secure with toothpicks.

Add stuffed calamari to sauce and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add clams the last 10 minutes and the cooked crab in the shell for the last 5 minutes or until heated through. Plate with one stuffed calamari, 2 clams, and a generous portion of crab. Serve.

Yield: 8 Servings

Poaching Sauce

1 14-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and seeded
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespooon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour tomatoes into saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes. In a separate pan, saute garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Transfer the garlic to the tomatoes. Stir in basil, parsley, wine, water, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

[Kitchen Witch]

MARINATED CALAMARI
Excellent as an appetizer or as the surprise ingredient in a seafood salad!

SERVES 6
?1 1/2 cups water
?1/2 cup olive oil
?3 pounds cleaned squid, bodies cut into 1/2-inch-wide rings, tentacles left intact
?1 onion, halved, sliced
?1/4 cup minced cilantro
?2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
?1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
?2 garlic cloves, peeled
?8 whole black peppercorns
?1 bay leaf
?1 dried chile
?12 baguette bread slices
?Additional olive oil (optional)
?Additional minced fresh cilantro


?Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 3 tablespoons oil to simmer in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Cover and simmer2 minutes. Let cool. Add 1/4 cup minced cilantro and rosemary. Transfer mixture to large jar. Add onion, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

?Preheat broiler. Brush baguette slices with 2 tablespoons oil. Broil until golden, watching closely to avoid burning. Drain squid mixture. Discard rosemary sprigs, garlic and bay leaf. Transfer squid mixture to medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

[Kitchen Witch]

Fried Calamari
Great party appetizer!



1 pound fresh cleaned calamari (squid), or thawed if frozen
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup Cajun spice
1 cup masa harina flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups corn oil, for frying
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Clean the squid and cut the body sacs of the squid into 1-inch rings and trim the tentacles if necessary.

In a mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk with 1/4 cup Essence. Place the squid pieces in the buttermilk
mixture and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Combine the masa harina and flour with the remaining 2
tablespoons of Cajun sesoning in a clean mixing bowl or baking dish.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the marinated squid in the flour mixture and shake the pieces in a strainer to remove any
excess. Carefully slip the squid into the hot oil, and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly cooked and
golden, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon or spider remove from the pot and drain on paper
towels.

Place the calamari on a platter and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately