- 2
Ingredients
- pound squid (about six)
- 5 ounces (3-4 slices) firm white bread, dried
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 2 thick slices of Bayonne ham (1 1/8-inch slice of prosciutto will also work)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
- 5 large tomatoes (canned tomatoes work well)
- 1 sprig thyme
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the heads from the squid, reserving the tentacles. Gently clean them under cool running water without piercing the skin. Pat dry.
Remove and discard the crust from the bread and place it in a small bowl with the wine to soak. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Remove the leaves from the parsley and chop, discarding the stems. Finely chop the ham and the squid tentacles.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic and sauté briefly. Add the chopped ham and tentacles. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and let cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the bread from the wine and squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Add the bread to the skillet breaking it up with the side of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Correct the seasoning, and add the cayenne.
Spoon this mixture generously into the squid.
Secure the ends crosswise with toothpicks (when the squid cooks, it shrinks and this prevents the stuffing from oozing out).
Peel the tomatoes and chop them coarsely. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the stuffed squid and sauté, turning until lightly browned on all sides. You may need to do this in batches. I found that browning all the squid at once created too much juice for a proper browning. Once browned lightly, add the tomatoes and thyme.
Cover and let simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread on the side.