I love squid, and fortunately Paul does too! Even my daughter Jess is gradually getting a taste for it. She prefers it cut into rings, in breadcrumbs or batter, deep-fried. This however is one of my favourite ways of serving it. Do try it, and I can assure you that it will not be tough and rubbery! You probably know that squid either needs to be cooked very quickly in a hot pan, or long and slow in a casserole, for at least 45 minutes. Anything in between and it will be as tough as old boots.
Squid stuffed with Spinach and Pinenuts, served with Roasted Vegetables and Tomatoes
Ready to cook in the above photo
Ingredients for 2 servings
6 squid
4oz Fresh Spinach
2oz Pine Nuts
1oz Chunky breadcrumbs (make your own from stale bread)
3 sun-dried tomatoes
1 fresh chilli
4 medium-sized new potatoes
1 courgette
Olive Oil
Stick of fresh rosemary
Half a 400g can of chopped tomatoes
Method
Slice the potatoes into chunky pieces – about 4 slices from each. Put in a small roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, add the rosemary stick and seasoning and roast for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small, dry, frying pan. Slice the deseeded chilli and cook for a few minutes in a little olive oil. Put the spinach in a colander and pour boiling water over it. This will wilt it. Mix the spinach, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, chillis and chopped, sun-dried tomatoes. Prepare the squid by pulling the legs out of the bodies. Make a small snip down the side of the body, about a quarter of the way down. Fill the bodies with the stuffing mixture and secure with cocktail sticks. When the potatoes have roasted, add the courgette to the tin, sliced into chunky pieces. Roast for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until it is smoking. Add a small amount of olive oil and sear the squid bodies and tentacles for a couple of minutes each side.
Squid cooking on the Griddle
Remove the tin from the oven. Add the tomatoes, then put the squid bodies and tentacles on top. Cook for another 5 minutes in the oven.
This is a meal in itself, but if you are like me you might dollop a spoon of thick Greek yoghurt on the top!
