Shrimp Stuffed Squid

Friday, October 21st, 2011 | posted by mike

Serves 4

12 med. size cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles (If you’re starting with squid that’s not cleaned check our squid cleaning video)

10 oz. wild gulf or Atlantic shrimp – peeled and deveined, tails off

1 t finely chopped garlic

2 t finely chopped onion

1/4 cup panko crumbs or dried bread crumbs

1 small egg

Drakes batter mix, or seasoned flour

Olive oil

1/2 bunch of finely chopped Italian parsley

toothpicks

For the tomato sauce

2  28 oz. cans of Italian plum tomatoes, San Marzano is a good brand.

2 T imported Italian plum tomato paste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion chopped

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 T chopped fresh basil

1 t dried oregano

pinch of red pepper flakes

Splash of white wine

salt and pepper

Heat sauce pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, when oil is hot add onion and garlic, stir ‘till they just start to brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, bring to boil, add a splash of wine, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

For the stuffing

In a food processor, puree shrimp

Save squid tentacles to use as an edible garnish. (If you don’t want to bother with this step, puree them with the shrimp)

Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in onion, garlic, egg and crumbs (use a rubber spatula and mix thoroughly)

With a small spoon stuff each squid. Push stuffing towards the tail end, to evenly fill the body leaving about an inch unstuffed at the end (stuffing expands during cooking)

Stick a toothpick in the ends and snip off a bit of length of toothpick so squid will lay flat in pan

Dust stuffed squid in Drakes batter mix

Heat pan over med. High heat, add enough olive oil to cover bottom and brown the squid, about 2-3 min. a side

Carefully transfer squid into pan with sauce, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 min. Check sauce on occasion and add a small splash of wine if it’s getting too thick and spoon sauce over squid while you’re at it.

Give yourself about 10 min. towards the end of sauce cooking time if you’d like to fry the tentacles for a garnish. Dip them in half and half or milk, dust in Drakes and in a small pan, over med high, heat enough oil to cover them. When sizzling hot, fry until golden brown (about 2-3 min. and drain over paper towel or paper bag .

Arrange squid over sauce on a nice platter, garnish with fried tentacles and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with sharp knives (for even cuts)

If serving as appetizers, pre slice and serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks

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Stuff it!

Friday, October 21st, 2011 | posted by mike

At Monahan’s we love to stuff. Seafood stuffing for appetizers or the main course can add a lot of extra flavor, interest, texture and excitement. Something as simple as stuffing avocados or endive leaves with crab or lobster salad is always a crowd pleaser. Baked scallop stuffed mushroom caps, jalapeño shrimp stuffed poppers, stuffed mussels, Caribbean crab backs or classic Rhode Island “stuffies” (stuffed clams) are all so delicious. Stuffed shrimp, lobster, whole fish or fillets make for fantastic main courses. Whether it’s rice stuffing seasoned with savory Moroccan spices, Greek style with lemon, oregano, feta and spinach, or good ole all American crab or lobster stuffing, it’s fun to experiment with all the different flavors.

Out of all the fish and shellfish that we’ve stuffed over the years I have a favorite. Perfectly designed for stuffing, squid are like a natural sausage casing just waiting to be stuffed with whatever you want. We have a tasty squid rellenos recipe on this site.

Another winning dish is a simple shrimp stuffed squid in a rich tomato sauce. We use Rhode Island squid ‘cause they’re the best! Most imports are often dipped in preservatives and may be inexpensive but they’re tasteless at best. Monterey squid from California are sweet and tasty also but a little too small for a lot of recipes (including this stuffed recipe). The shrimp that we use are wild gulf shrimp from Texas. These shrimp have a great sweet flavor and a firm snappy texture. Maine shrimp, the little arctic gems that appear in December are also fantastic in this recipe. The stuffing for this dish is simple: shrimp, a little garlic, a little onion, a touch of breading and egg.

The flavors of the shrimp and the squid shine, complimented by the tangy tomato sauce. Serve as a main course or slice and serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks for a great appetizer.   Enjoy!

And if you love squid, you’ll love our squid t-shirt made famous by Anthony Bourdain! Artwork by yours truly.

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Fresh Narragansett Squid are now in season throughout the summer!

Friday, June 4th, 2010 | posted by wendy

Flashing colors of ultramarine, pearl, ruby red, snow white and sky blue— the squids ranging in size from 1 inch to 70 feet are some of the most beautiful, smartest, most fascinating creatures in the sea. Squid have always been a culinary delight all over the world. 80% of this cephalopod is edible—An amazing yield, even for seafood which pound for pound offer considerably more edible ounces than red meat or poultry and the squid’s lean meat is 80% protein which makes it highly nutritious.  The tentacles — delicate and quite decorative — are a substantial portion of the squid’s edible flesh and should be included whenever possible.  Try it.  they’re a special “frilly” treat you won’t want to miss. It’s sweet and delicious and super-versatile. Even its relatively high cholesterol content is more helpful than harmful. Cooking Tips You may grill, broil, bake, blanch, sauté, stir-fry, deep-fry, braise or eat squid raw.  However you prepare it though, remember:  If overcooked, squid can become chewy.  It should be cooked hot and fast, no longer than 3 minutes.  However, if stewed or cooked in sauce, the muscle will break down and become tender again after 20 minutes. Marinating has a lovely effect on squid’s meat, but should not exceed 30 minutes or the meat will soften and acquire a bitter taste (especially if your marinade contains any lemon or vinegar). Fresh or Frozen Squid is the perfect seafood to freeze.  It freezes so beautifully because it has no blood to decompose and affect flavor.  We carry lovely fresh and frozen squid from small boats out of Rhode Island as well as perfectly lovely frozen Monterey squid, the smaller Pacific cousin.  Fresh is great when it’s available but either way, squid is exceptionally delicious and nutritious. About Cleaning… We’ll always clean your squid for you, but if you want to do it yourself, here’s a little video. Grilled Narragansett Squid with Thai Peanut Sauce Long-Braise Squid Tomato Sauce for Pasta Chinese Black Bean Squid Callemares Rellenos (Stuffed Squid) Squid in Anchovy Sauce Monahan’s Squid Salad

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Calamares Rellenos (Stuffed Squid)

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | posted by wendy

serves 4 to 6

•    20-24 medium squid, with tentacles
•    5 T olive oil
•    3⁄4 cup chopped onion
•    4 cloves garlic, minced
•    3⁄4 lb. cured ham, in 2 or 3 pieces, minced
•    1⁄2 t paprika
•    3 T minced parsley
•    salt & pepper
•    4 t white wine
•    5 T bread crumbs
•    flour for dusting

Tomato Sauce
•    2 T olive oil
•    6 T chopped onion
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    3 T tomato paste
•    3 fresh medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped, or 6 canned plum tomatoes
•    3 T water
•    2 T minced parsley
•    salt & pepper
•    pinch sugar
•    3/4 cup dry white wine

To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a shallow casserole and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is wilted.  Add  the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar and wine.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean the squid well, leaving the mantles (bodies) in one piece.  Mince and reserve the tentacles.  In a  skillet, heat 2 T of the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is wilted.  Add the minced tentacles to the skillet along with the ham.  Cook 2 minutes, turn off the flame and add the paprika, parsley, salt, pepper, wine and bread crumbs.

Fill the squid bodies with the prepared mixture.  Dust with flour and fry in the remaining 3 T of oil, very briefly, turning once (they should not brown).  Transfer to the casserole with the tomato sauce, cover and cook in a 350° oven for 1 hour.  Serve with a salad and a medium-dry white wine.

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Squid in Anchovy Sauce

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | posted by wendy

(serves 4 to 6)

•    3 lbs. small squid, cleaned and cut into rings
•    1⁄2 cup olive oil
•    1 cup chopped onion
•    freshly ground pepper
•    4 oz. flat anchovies, drained
•    1 cup clam juice
•    1⁄4 cup finely chopped parsley
•    juice of 1 1⁄2 lemons or to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion.  Cook until the onion is translucent.  Sprinkle with pepper and add the squid and anchovies.  Do not add salt until the very end, if ever (the anchovies are already salty).  Add the clam juice and parsley and simmer 30 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and serve hot in small soup bowls with parsley sprinkled over.  Serve with a crusty bread for dipping.

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Monahan’s Squid Salad

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | posted by wendy

(serves 2-4)

•    1 1⁄2 lbs. squid (cleaned and  cut into 1⁄4” rings)
•    2 cloves garlic, chopped
•    10 T extra  virgin olive oil (6 T for vinaigrette & 4 T for sauté)
•    1⁄2 t oregano
•    1⁄2 medium sweet onion (vidalia, if in  season), coarsely chopped
•    1 T white wine vinegar
•    1 T rice wine vinegar
•    1  1⁄2 T lemon juice
•    1 T Tiger sauce (available at Monahan’s)
•    2 pinches Old Bay seasoning (available at Monahan’s)
•    salt & pepper to taste

Vinaigrette:  Combine 6 T olive oil, vinegar, oregano, onion, lemon juice, tiger sauce & Old Bay

Heat remaining 4 T olive oil over medium-high burner until quid sizzles in pan, then sauté for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and sauté for another minute, then drain in colander and set aside to cool.  Add cooled squid to vinaigrette and marinade for 30 minute.  Serve on a bed of lettuce

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Calamari alla Piastra (Crispy Griddle Squid)

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | posted by wendy

serves 4

•    2 lbs. fresh squid (cleaned with the skin and tentacles left on)
•    1⁄2 cup extra  virgin olive oil
•    8 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced
•    Leaves from a branch of thyme
•    1 t crushed red pepper flakes
•    1 t. fine sea salt

Combine squid, oil, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and salt in a medium bowl and marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer squid and marinade to hot skillet and immediately place the clean bottom of a medium cast-iron skillet directly on top of squid to flatten it as it cooks. Be sure the pans don’t trap steam or the squid won’t be crisp. Cook, turning squid once, until browned and crispy and juices have caramelized, about 8 minutes per side.

Transfer calamari and juices to a large platter and serve garnised with parsley springs and wedges of lemon if you like.

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