Squid ink intensifies the seafood flavor of squid cooked with tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Squid ink is now sold in many upscale grocery stores that carry fresh seafood. If you clean your own squid, you can harvest your own squid ink.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (about 1 large) tomatoes, unpeeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, cleaned of veins and seeds and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup firmly packed, roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 12 small garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 Tablespoons fruity olive oil
- 1 pound cleaned squid, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 large California bay leaf, broken up
- 1 scant teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon squid ink, approximately, diluted in 2 Tablespoons vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Put the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, parsley, and 4 of the garlic cloves into a blender jar and blend for a few seconds to make a textured puree. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan or a saute pan, add 4 garlic cloves, slivered, and fry until a very dark brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Put the remaining garlic cloves, slivered, into the pan with the squid, sprinkle with salt, and stir quickly, tossing it from time to time (really a stir-fry), for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, sugar, squid ink, and pepper and cook quickly for about 6 minutes to reduce the sauce. The squid should be tender but still a little al dente. If the sauce is still a little too liquid but the squid is cooked, tip the pan to one side and reduce the sauce for 4 minutes more.
This dish is best served on a bed of plain white rice.
Yield: 4 servings
• How to clean squid and harvest ink
Recipe Source: The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy (Bantam)
Reprinted with permission.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan or a saute pan, add 4 garlic cloves, slivered, and fry until a very dark brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Put the remaining garlic cloves, slivered, into the pan with the squid, sprinkle with salt, and stir quickly, tossing it from time to time (really a stir-fry), for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, sugar, squid ink, and pepper and cook quickly for about 6 minutes to reduce the sauce. The squid should be tender but still a little al dente. If the sauce is still a little too liquid but the squid is cooked, tip the pan to one side and reduce the sauce for 4 minutes more.
This dish is best served on a bed of plain white rice.
Yield: 4 servings
• How to clean squid and harvest ink
Recipe Source: The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy (Bantam)
Reprinted with permission.
