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Skriven 2011-12-25 14:20:52 av Nick Kill (1:261/1406)
Ärende: Fidonews Volume 28 Number 52 Food For Thought
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                           F O O D  for T H O U G H T

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     Christmas Eve Dinners

     by Janis Kracht, 1:261/38, janis@filegate.net

     

     Christmas Eve in our house is special.. Some years we'll

     have Stuffed Calamari and Linguine (this year's pick) and

     some years we'll have Boulliabase over Linguine.  

     

     Stuffed Calamari  in Tomato Sauce

     This recipe, a favorite on Christmas Eve, starts out with a simple Marin

     Sauce.  The stuffed Squid is then added and simmered resulting in

     melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

     

     For the sauce:

     1 large onion, chopped

     2 cloves garlic, minced

     1/3 cup olive oil

     2 large cans (2-pounds 3-ounces) Imported Italian tomatoes

     1 6-oz can of tomato paste

     salt and pepper to taste

     1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

     1 teaspoon dry basil or more to taste

     1/2 cup dry white wine

     1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

     

     Put the tomatoes in a blender for about 3-5 seconds to chop

     them.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Saute onion

     and garlic until yellow and tender.  Add tomatoes, paste,

     basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the red pepper

     flakes.

     

     Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the wine

     and simmer for 10 minutes more.  While the sauce is

     simmering, prepare the stuffed calamari:

     

     For the stuffed Calamari:

     3 lbs uncleaned calamari

     1 1/2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs

     2 cloves garlic, minced

     3 Tablespoons Peccorino Cheese

     1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsle, minced

     1 egg, beaten

     Olive Oil to moisten Bread Crumbs 

     

     How to Clean Squid: 

     

     Grasp the head and pull it from the body and most of the

     guts of the squid will come out.  You can inspect the guts

     to find the small ink sac, identifiable by the silver

     thread running through a dark blue ink sac.  You can toss

     this into your tomato sauce for added outstanding flavor,

     breaking it with a spoon or fork as it goes in.

     

     Remove the transparent spine from the squid body by running

     a finger along the inside of the mantle, holding it by the

     tip or by the base of the mantle.  Pull and this

     transparent spine should just come out.

     

     Remove the purple film that covers the squid body and fins

     by running cold water over the body while you pull the

     purple film off.

     

     Cut off the tentacles and reserve them.  Make sure to

     remove the beak, a sharp toothlike object located at the

     top of the tentacles.  Reserve the small fins on the ends

     of the squid for Fried Calamari, or chop them along with

     the tentacles.

     

     Chop about half of the tentacles fine. You can add the rest

     of them to your sauce.  Mix the bread crumbs, garlic,

     parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Add the chopped

     tentacles to the bread crumb mixture.  Mix in the egg in

     bread crumb mixture.  Mix in about a Tablespoon of Olive

     oil.  At this point, the mixture should be wet enough to

     gather on a spoon or in your hands to fill the squid.  If

     it is still to dry, you can add some more olive oil a

     little at a time.  If it's too wet, you can add a little

     more bread crumbs about 2 tablespoons at a time.

     

     Fill the squid loosely and only about 2/3 full with the

     bread crumb mixture.  Close each squid with a toothpick. 

     Place the stuffed squid in the pot of tomato sauce and

     simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

     

     Tips: Don't overfill the squid tubes, or they will split

           and break up in the sauce.  Don't boil the sauce,

           keep it on very low heat to cook the squid gently.

     Grandson's Tip:  You don't need toothpicks!  My grandson

           watched an episode Alton Brown on TV, and had me try

           his method.  It works great!  Turn the squid inside

           out, chill while preparing the sauce, etc., and then

           fill with the filling as above.  Place in the sauce. 

           As the squid cooks, it will close the opening all by

           itself!

           

     

     ===

     Zuppa de Pesce (Fish soup or Boulliabase)

     

     In my mother's house, this soup is often served over

     linguine and treated as a 'sauce', not a soup.  It is

     served with large chunks of Italian bread for dipping, so

     not one drop goes to waste.  You can add a tablespoon or

     two of tomato paste if serving it as a sauce.

     

     The sauce:

     

     2/3 cup olive oil

     1 large onion

     5 cloves garlic, chopped

     2 large cans Italian crushed tomatoes

     1 whole live lobster

     1 pound shrimp, cleaned and de-veined

     12 clams, scrubbed

     10-12 crab claws

     12 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

     6 squid tubes, sliced in 1" pieces

     3 squid tentacles, whole

     salt, pepper

     basil and oregano to taste

     1 cup or more white wine

     [optional] 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

     

     Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and saute the garlic and

     onions.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings.  Simmer for 45

     minutes.

     

     Add the lobster and simmer for 15 minutes.

     Add the crab claws and simmer for 20 minutes.

     Add the scallops and simmer for 10 minutes.

     Add the clams in the shell and mussels in the shell 

     and simmer for 20 minutes or until the shells open.

     Add the shrimp and simmer for 10 minutes.

     Add the squid and simmer for about 3 minutes.

     

     Add the wine and taste for seasoning.  Allow to simmer for

     a few minutes more and then serve.

     

     If you are serving this as a soup, serve it in individual large bowls wi

     chunks of Italian bread.  Have plenty of grated locatelli romano cheese 

     the table however you serve it.

     ===

     

     

     

     FIDONEWS Vol 28 No 52              Page 3          December 26th 2011

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 * Origin: Amachat - Utica NY (1:261/1406)