Stuffed Calamari

Non-Mediterranean people would be forgiven for thinking ‘Star Wars’ when they hear the word ‘calamari’. In the Star Wars movies, the planet ‘Mon Calamari’ is an ocean planet where amphibious humanoids live.

Well, in the Mediterranean, calamari are, shall we say, a universe ahead. They are one of the most succulent fish dishes on offer. You say calamari, you conjure a village with a viewpoint over a shimmering silver-blue sea. You imagine a group of villagers sitting on the doorstep exchanging gossip while eating figs and chestnuts. In the background a mamma in a spotless white apron will be hustling about cleaning the squids.

While in most Mediterranean countries, such as Spain and Greece, squid is cut into rings, deep friend and served with a slice of lemon, in Malta it is more popular to stuff them.

Stuffed calamari is that kind of dish which has to be prepared with love. It’s so dramatically delicious that if you eat it at a restaurant you’d be tempted to propose to the waiter, so it’s probably safer if you try it at home. You can buy the squid fresh and get the fishmonger to clean them up for you. Then it’s simply a matter of getting carried away by the heavenly aromas.

The trick is in the size of the squid. You don’t want them to be too tiny that you’d have to use your tiny finger to work your way. But then again you don’t want a huge one. A couple of years ago, off the coast of New Zealand, a record ten meter squid was caught, weighing about 500kg.

Now that would need quite a galactic amount of stuffing wouldn’t it?

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 30 min

Cooking time: 60 min

4 medium sized cleaned squid (calamari)

300 grams fresh prawns (not king prawns) (cut in small cubes)

3 finely chopped onions

Garlic finely chopped

200 g grated parmiggiano

1 small Maltese bread (cut in small tiny pieces without the crust)

8 large tomatoes (seeded, chopped)

200 grams stoned olives (finely chopped)

fresh mint/basil/parsley

white wine

olive oil

2 fresh lemons

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan. Remove the head of the squid, cut in small pieces and fry. Then add the onion and the garlic and fry lightly. Add the tomatoes and a glass of wine and cook gently for some 20 minutes. Take a couple of tablespoons of this sauce and add to a bowl containing the bread, the olives, the prawns and the herbs. Mix well. Fill the cleaned squid with this mixture and secure the open end with a toothpick.

Place the stuffed calamari in the pan containing the tomato sauce and simmer until cooked, for about 45 minutes. Add some water to the sauce if it starts getting too dry. The calamari are served whole or can be cut into thick rings after having slightly cooled down. The sauce is usually served on the side.