The previous post showed how to clean squids while saving their precious ink to make the wonderful recipe Calamares in su Tinta, Calamars à l’Encre or Squid in their own Ink. But first let me share some sweet family history about this dish.
When we first moved to this country in 1987, my son Joseph was 6. When he started school we were told there was a cantina where the kids could buy their lunches. At first we were all eager to blend in so we decided to go with it. First day of school, and little Joseph comes home appalled reporting that there was no lunch served, only pizza and hot dogs! AND kids who brought their own lunches had peanut & jelly sandwiches —to this day I don’t think he would consider eating one unless truly starved. We then decided to pack him a real lunch, and that didn’t include sandwiches, that was picnic food, he was used to French public schools ,then family style, sit down three course meal! So I purchased a thermos box and packed him a hot lunch for many years. His favorite one was to take to school: squid in their own ink — needless to say not a popular item to trade lunch! It is still one of his favorite dishes and he actually did partake of this batch. Alors, voilà la recipe for Joseph Mastantuono and for poet Jonathan Skinner who asked for it.
Calamars à l’Encre
5 lbs of squids cleaned, ink sacks set aside
1 medium chopped onion
1 peeled & seeded tomato
4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1/2 bottle of red wine —French Languedoc or Spanish—
1/3 cup of Spanish Brandy
3 tablespoons Arrowroot flour ( or two of regular flour)
1/2 cup of chopped parsley for garnish
– Cut the cleaned and drained squid cones into rings — I don’t cut the tentacles though some people do and I cut the rings about 1 inch thick.
-Warm a skillet with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add the onions, cook gently until slightly golden.
-Meanwhile prepare your ink:
with a pestle (or the back of a spoon) apply pressure to the sacks to force the ink through the mesh of the strainer. Pour the red wine over the sacks in the strainer and keep working until you have extracted the ink from the bags. Save.
-Add the cut & dried squid to the skillet, mix well with the onions. Once the squid start getting opaque and stiffen add the Brandy and flambé safely (if you don’t flambé is not a big deal). Mix well.
– Add garlic, tomato & mix well.
-Add ink with wine, mix well.
-Sprinkle the three table spoons of arrowroot on top. Mix very well.
-Add more wine, if needed, so that liquid covers squid to 3/4.
-Bring to a gentle boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so. Your squid have to be very tender.
I like serving it with saffron rice, but white rice is good too.
Bon Appétit! And please report if you make it.
This looks gorgeous –and I hungry for squid so I’ll have to give it try! Meantime, I don’t have your email address but do have notes on falafel making from Kim so email me if you get a break.