Stuffed Squid
- Easy
- 60 min
- Kcal 265
Totani, or European squid, are sometimes considered the poor man’s calamari, and the two are, in fact, often confused, but we know exactly how they differ in terms of shape and color, among other things. When it comes to using them for cooking, however, the two are pretty much interchangeable. So, following on from our delicious stuffed calamari recipe, we thought we’d put together a recipe for stuffing their marine cousins, too, giving us today’s recipe for totani ripieni – baked stuffed squid. An appetizing combination of potatoes, soaked bread, and fresh turmeric makes the perfect hearty, soft filling for the squid, accompanied by the freshness of a yogurt cream to give this fish main course that extra dimension!
To prepare the stuffed squid, start with the potatoes. Place them in a saucepan with cold water and cook for around 20-30 minutes from boiling (you can speed up the cooking process by using a pressure cooker)1. Once they’re ready (make sure they can be pierced easily with a fork), allow them to cool, then peel and set aside. Next, remove the crust from the bread, cut the bread into chunks 2, and soak the chunks in the milk 3.
Clean the squid by removing the head (4-5) and the side “wings” with a knife. Rinse the squid thoroughly, both outside and inside 6, to remove any impurities.
Chop up the wings and the tentacles 7, and finely chop the scallion, having removed the green part and the roots beforehand, along with the marjoram leaves 8. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the chopped scallion and marjoram 9, and fry over low heat, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Then add the chopped wings and tentacles 10 and cook over high heat for a few moments 11, ensuring that the water released from the squid evaporates completely 12.
At this point, you need to start preparing the filling. Mash the now-cold potatoes in a large bowl 13 and add the soaked bread 14, the chopped squid and scallion 15,
the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 16, the peeled fresh turmeric grating it directly into the bowl 17, the salt, the pepper, and the whole egg 18.
Mix thoroughly 19, and once all of the ingredients are combined, transfer the mixture to a disposable pastry bag 20. Preheat a conventional oven to 350°F (180°C), then grease the bottom of a small baking dish (that will hold 4 stuffed squid), stuff the squid to the top with the filling 21,
and lay them side by side in the dish 22. Season with salt and pepper to taste 23 and finish with a drizzle of oil. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for approximately 30 minutes. While the squid are baking, turn your attention to the accompanying sauce. Pour the yogurt and cream into a small bowl, add a drizzle of oil 24
and the dill 25, and mix well. Once the squid are cooked, take them out of the oven 26 and serve each baked stuffed squid with the accompanying sauce 27.