Calamari Ripieni alla Siciliana

Calamari ripieni alla Siciliana is a classic dish from the Sicilian coastal region. Small squid are stuffed with a mixture of bread, pine nuts, anchovy, capers and herbs, briefly seared and then gently braised in a light tomato sauce. Elegant yet homely in character, suitable as a starter or as a light main course with some bread or pasta.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 30 minutes
Cooking: approx. 20 minutes
Total time: approx. 50 minutes

Ingredients

• approx. 16 small squid (about ± 800 g in total), cleaned
• 3 slices stale white bread (without crust) or approx. 80 g breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 30 g Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• approx. 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 50 ml dry white wine

Preparation

1. Clean the squid if your fishmonger has not already done so: gently pull off the head with tentacles, remove the transparent “quill”, the innards and the skin. Cut the tentacles from the head and set them aside for the stuffing. Briefly rinse the squid bodies and tentacles under cold water and pat dry well.
2. Halve the tomatoes and grate them, cut side down, against the coarse side of a grater over a bowl, until only the skin remains. Discard the skin. This leaves you with a coarse tomato pulp with juices.
3. Peel the garlic cloves and chop finely (keep separate: one clove for the stuffing, one for the sauce).
4. Finely chop the capers and anchovies.
5. Wash the parsley, pat dry and finely chop the leaves. Set aside a little parsley for garnish.
6. Crumble the bread roughly (or use breadcrumbs) and briefly soak it in the milk. Then gently squeeze out the bread: it should be moist, but not dripping.

Method

1. Make the stuffing
   Heat a little olive oil in a pan over a moderate heat. Add the finely chopped tentacles and the chopped clove of garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the tentacles are just cooked and the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Leave to cool slightly. Put the squeezed bread in a bowl. Add the cooked tentacles, capers, pine nuts, anchovies, parsley, Parmesan and the egg. Season with a little salt (go easy, as the anchovies and capers are salty) and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything into a firm but not dry stuffing. If the mixture is too wet, add a little extra breadcrumbs. Tip: fry a small test ball of the stuffing in a frying pan to check the seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
2. Stuff the squid
   Using a small spoon or piping bag, carefully fill the squid bodies with the stuffing. Do not fill them right to the top: leave a little space, as the stuffing expands slightly during cooking and the squid shrinks. If necessary, close the opening with a wooden skewer or cocktail stick.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce
   Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide pan over a moderate heat. Add the second chopped clove of garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, without colouring. Deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce gently for 1–2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes with their juices. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently over a low heat while you cook the squid.
4. Sear and braise the squid
   Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a moderate to high heat. Briefly sear the stuffed squid, about 2 minutes per side, until lightly coloured. Carefully place the seared squid in the simmering tomato sauce. Make sure they are partly submerged in the sauce. Cover the pan and let everything simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. The squid should be cooked and tender, not tough. Braising for too long makes them rubbery.
5. Serve
   Remove the skewers if necessary. Serve the calamari ripieni alla Siciliana warm, spooned over with some of the tomato sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley (or, if desired, a few basil leaves). Delicious with crusty bread, a simple plate of pasta or a fresh fennel or green salad.