Happy Spring!

Friday, March 22nd, 2013 | posted by mike

flower bouquet

I’m sitting here on the first day of spring, looking out the window, watching the trees blowing, the snow falling and thinking about last year at this time, 70 degrees, sitting outside at Dominick’s enjoying a beer.

I was hoping that it would feel a bit more like spring and we could offer a recipe this week that would be light and spring like. Well, Mr. Winter, I defy you!

I prepared a light, easy, delicious, nutritious squid salad that turned out to be a hit on a cold wintery night. A warm salad with great northern beans and a dressing of jalapeño peppers, capers and sun dried tomatoes. I cut the squid into scored triangles so that they curl up and hold all the tasty, warm vinaigrette.

squid bodies

Our sweet Narragansett squid are perfect for this dish. The beans in this salad take on all the flavors and make the dish into a meal on its own.

All you need is a crusty baguette and it’s dinnertime! Click here for recipe.

 

Enjoy and think spring!

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Warm Squid and Great Northern Bean Salad with Oven Roasted Tomato, Caper Vinaigrette

Thursday, March 21st, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb. cleaned Narragansett squid, tentacles and bodies, scored and cut into triangles  (video instructions)

1 5 oz. pack of mixed salad greens, including arugula

1 15 oz. can great northern beans

6 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

2 T oven roasted tomatoes (packed in olive oil available at Monahan’s) or sun dried tomatoes

3 scallions, white section with some green, thinly sliced

2 T capers

1T rice wine vinegar

3 t chopped anchovies

Black pepper

3 T chopped Italian parsley

 

Arrange greens on plates

In a med. saucepan over med heat, add 2 T olive oil

When oil is hot, add scallions, roasted tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, capers and anchovies

Sauté till onions soften and garlic just starts to brown then add rice vinegar and beans, stir for a minute, take off heat.

In a large heavy pan or skillet, over med-high heat add 4 T olive oil

When oil is hot add squid heads then 20 seconds later add scored pieces

Stir fry for about 2-4 min. or until scored pieces curl up

Add tomato caper vinaigrette to squid and toss to coat

Taste, if you need to add a little more oil and vinegar, go ahead

Spoon squid over greens, season with black pepper and garnish with parsley

 

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Seafood Pizza

Friday, January 25th, 2013 | posted by mike

Makes 1 large (8 slices)

12 oz. can San Marzano diced tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

Flour

Olive oil

1 med purple onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 sliced thin

6-7 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced thin (chiffonade)

1 T dried basil

1/2 T dried oregano

Pizza dough, from pizzeria, enough for 1 large pizza (or store bought crust such as Boboli brand)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 t crushed red pepper

24 cnt. med shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off

24 cnt. Nantucket bay scallops, or 12 (10-20 cnt.) dry pack sea scallops cut in half

1 lb. live mussels

6 oz. squid, domestic Rhode Island or Monterrey cut into 1/2-inch rings include heads

6 oz. fresh chopped clamspizza-2

3 T reggiano Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

8 anchovies, Ortiz brand if possible

Pre heat oven to 450º

Make sure dough is room temperature

Place pizza stone into oven and let it come up to temperature

In a med saucepan heat 1T olive oil over med-high heat

Add 1/2 the garlic, the chopped onion and sauté till onions start to soften

Add tomatoes, with juice, tomato paste, dried basil, oregano and red pepper flakes

Stir and reduce until sauce thickens then take off the heat

Bring water to boil in med. pot, then turn down to simmer

Add scallops and shrimp for 2 min. then scoop out with slotted spoon and set aside

Next add squid rings, heads and chopped clams and poach for 2 min. Scoop out and set aside

Steam mussels in 1/2 inch of water and white wine for about 2 min. until they just start to open, then remove each one from shell and set aside

Sprinkle flour on a large cutting board and some on your peel (giant pizza spatula)

Roll out dough on cutting board (if you know how to throw the dough, go for it) otherwise stretch it out by hand and then roll it out.

Pinch around the edges of the dough, to contain sauce, place on peel

At this point, until you get more familiar with sliding the pie around on the peel, I find it easier to get the dough directly onto the stone before topping it.

Dust stone with a bit of flour before placing dough on it

Spoon sauce over dough then drizzle a little olive oil over sauce

Sprinkle about 3/4 of the Parmesan and the mozzarella over sauce

Spread the rest of the garlic and slices of onion around

Arrange all the seafood and anchovies over cheese

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top

Bake for about 8 min. or until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown

Remove to cutting board, garnish with basil chiffonade and slice into 8 pieces

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Give Me Some Skin- On My Squid!

Friday, August 17th, 2012 | posted by mike

I can’t help getting excited when fresh and shimmering whole squid graces our ice. All right, we just had a squid report a few weeks ago but when it’s available and looking so fine, we just can’t get enough. We’ve been praising the joys of squid with an almost evangelic fervor for years. This site offers all kinds of recipes.  Stuffed (calamares rellenos), black bean stir fried, squid satay with Thai peanut sauce, sautéed with pimentos and chorizo, squid in tomato sauce over pasta, squid salad and calamari a la piastra (crispy griddle squid) are some of our favorites.

squid in marinade

 

We received some flawless beauties from Cape Elizabeth, Maine that, since their delicate skin was perfect, cried out to be grilled whole with the skin on. Most squid preparations call for them to be skinned, mainly because the skin will darken and some of it will fall off in most recipes. With a little marinating, an oiled clean grill and a little TLC the skin stayed intact and they cooked up beautifully. Serve them with sharp knives and a squeeze of lemon.

 

 

Here’s the recipe for whole grilled squid.

Since we love squid so much, we used Mike’s drawing on our popular tees!

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Grilled Whole Squid with Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic

Friday, August 17th, 2012 | posted by lisa

Serves 4

11/2-2 lb. whole uncleaned squid, guts and quill removed, skin and fins left on

5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large red pepper, roasted, then cut into small 1/4-1/2 inch squares

6-8 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from stem

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 t sriracha sauce

olive oil

Marinate squid in enough olive oil and 1/2 the garlic to just cover for 15 min.

When grill is ready, roast the red pepper (turn occasionally until it’s black all around, place in plastic or paper bag for a few min. then peel off the black skin), cut into squares – put aside for sauce

To make sauce, heat about a 1/4 cup olive oil over med- high heat, add garlic, red pepper and thyme- when garlic softens and begins to turn golden add sriracha, take off heat and reheat at serving time

Clean grid on grill and brush with a bit of olive oil

Place squid across grid (diagonally) along with the tentacles (also diagonally, so that they don’t fall through onto the coals).

Grill for 3-4 min. a side (a bit longer for larger squid)

Heat the garlic pepper sauce, pour onto serving platter and serve squid over sauce. Serve with lemon wedges

caprese saladThis meal was great with a local tomato caprese salad and a baguette for sopping. WOW!

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Squid Surprise!

Thursday, June 28th, 2012 | posted by mike

The other day I had a very pleasant surprise! Every so often one of our suppliers, knowing what we buy and what we like, will see something come in that they know would really excite us. Nick Alfiero from Harbor Fish in Portland, Maine called and said, “I know you didn’t order these but we just got in some small local squid that were still alive and I put em in the box”. Oh yeah, Christmas in June!

Unloading our order I came upon a bag of small, shiny, gorgeous squids with big bright eyes still showing colors of ivory, blue and turquoise. There was no question about what was for dinner that night, the only question was how to prepare them. When cleaning them, I was amazed at how creamy and tender they felt. Normally we cut squid into rings or triangles so that quick cooking will keep them tender, but I knew these little guys would do just fine being kept whole.

squid ingredientsSearching around the kitchen for recipe ideas, I found everything for a nice squid dinner. A Café Japon baguette was a great start, now a great sopping sauce was all that was needed. Ahh, Palacios Spanish chorizo in the fridge and some Spanish Mas Portell Piquillo Pimientos. Next to those beautiful wood roasted Pimientos were some Ortiz anchovies from Vizcaya in the Basque region. It was time to pour a glass of crisp Albariño, put on the flamenco music and get cooking. There also just happened to be some fresh garlic and onions that my wife had picked up at the farmer’s market. Some of the world’s greatest ingredients right here in my little kitchen and I’m ready to have some fun!

Fast, easy and absolutely delicious this dish makes a fine dinner but it would also be great served as an appetizer or tapas. Manila clams and shrimp could be added to this dish also, for an over the top touch. Enjoy!

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Baby Squids with Chorizo and Anchovies

Thursday, June 28th, 2012 | posted by mike

Serves 4

Olive oil

1/12-2 lb. baby or small squid, fresh if possible, or previously frozen North Atlantic, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch rings (save tentacles)

6-8 oz. cooked Spanish chorizo, we used Palacios brand; angle cut 1/4 inch thick

4 oz. wood fire roasted Spanish pimientos; we used Mas Portell brand, cut into strips

1 med onion sliced

4 or 5 cloves garlic, chopped

50 grams anchovies, I used super fancy Ortiz brand (worth it!), available at Monahan’s

5 sprigs thyme

Heat large heavy pan or skillet over med – high heat

When pan is hot, add enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan

Add onion for a min. then the chorizo, toss for a couple minutes till they start to brown

Add garlic until it just starts to brown then add pimientos, anchovies and thyme, toss for one min.

Add squid tentacles and bodies and toss for another 2 min. (add more olive oil at this point if sauce is cooking down to much)

Serve with crusty bread for dipping and maybe an arugula salad

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Black Bean Stir-Fried Squid

Friday, October 28th, 2011 | posted by mike

Serves 2

All ingredients available at Monahan’s

3/4 – 1 lb. of cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles- use domestic, Rhode Island or Monterey, score and cut into triangles (follow directions on this video – be careful to lightly score so you don’t cut all the way through)

1/2 cup black bean sauce

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

2 t sriracha sauce

1/2 T rice vinegar

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic- fine chop

1 bu scallions – thin sliced, use some of the green part

1/2 bu cilantro- fine chop

Optional – 1 bu bok choy (blanched) or1 cup broccoli (blanched)

Peanut oil or vegetable or olive oil, for frying

Steam your rice and have it ready to serve

Stir the black bean sauce, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha sauce in a bowl and set aside

Heat wok or heavy pan or skillet over high heat then add about 1/3 cup oil

When oil is sizzling hot, add scallions and stir fry for about 1 min.

Add garlic for about 5 seconds and then add the tentacles (they take a little longer to cook than the bodies) and stir-fry for 10 or 15 seconds before adding the squid bodies

Constantly stir-fry until squid triangles curl up, (about 1 to 2 min.)

Add sauce, and blanched veggies if desired, and keep stir-frying until sauce is bubbling

I use a slotted spoon to serve, to control the amount of sauce, and spoon

over or next to rice and top with chopped cilantro. Save a little sauce for your rice.

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Black Bean Stir-Fried Squid ~ Revisited

Friday, October 28th, 2011 | posted by mike

drawing by Mike Monahan

Last week our recipe was shrimp stuffed squid. I love it, a great dish to serve for guests with great flavor, eye appeal and WOW factor. The longer stewing in the tomato sauce results in a nice tender squid, but one of the great things about cooking squid is that most recipes are fast and easy.

The secret to making squid tender and not chewy is to cook it fast (2-4 min.) or slow (simmered or stewed in a sauce for 20-30 min.). Deep-fried calamari is an easy favorite, or try a quickie stir-fry over pasta or with rice. We have a great recipe for squid with anchovies on our website along with a black bean stir-fry recipe. The black bean recipe has always been a hit, but as our pantry has expanded to include more Southeast Asian ingredients I’ve experimented with adding a few new touches that add a new dimension with a nice kick. Black bean sauce is the base but adding Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha sauce and cilantro, this dish is less salty, spicier, and I think more interesting.

The squid bodies are opened up and scored to hold the tasty sauce. When stir-fried they curl up and make a gorgeous presentation that will really impress.

Add blanched broccoli or bok choy at the end for a one-pot meal and serve with rice.

Don’t forget to check out our popular squid t-shirt! Artwork above.

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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