Post by Chips on Dec 26, 2005 9:48:35 GMT 9.5
Summer is the perfect season to serve fresh, tender calamari, tentacles, body and all.
Calamari, along with octopuses and cuttlefish, are cephalopod molluscs distinguishable by their bag-like bodies. It's easy to identify the octopus, but the difference between cuttlefish and calamari is more difficult to spot. The cuttlefish has a hard, chalky internal shell called the "cuttlebone"; cockatoos like to sharpen their beaks on these. The calamari's internal shell, however, is transparent, fine and flexible.
Their taste is similar, with the former thicker fleshed and coarser flavoured, but, in a recipe sense, cuttlefish and calamari are almost always interchangeable. The only exception is when a dish calls for stuffing. Here the calamari is indispensable because, with care, its body can be emptied to form a perfectly stuffable tube, while the cuttlefish's cuttlebone, once removed, tears the tube along a seam.
The calamari is also the most highly prized member of the squid family. To spot the difference, look at the two flaps on either side of the body. On the calamari, these flaps will extend down the full length of the tube, while on the arrow squid or pencil squid they end a third to half way down. Once again, the calamari is better eating.
Calamari is good with
Extra virgin olive oil; butter; garlic; onions; chilli; soy sauce; balsamic vinegar; fish sauce; ginger; shallots; spring onions; lime; lemon; tomato; eggplant; zucchini; cucumber; asparagus; beans; peas; all lettuces and leaves especially rocket, iceberg and cos; mayonnaise.
Calamari stuffed with prawns
For four people clean 8 medium-sized calamari, keeping the tentacles. In a saucepan, bring to a simmer a litre of water, 500ml of dry white wine, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Add the calamari, with its tentacles, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the water to drain and cool. In a bowl, mix together 250g of cooked, peeled and chopped prawns, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 2 chopped red chillies, the juice of 2 lemons and 100ml of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Stuff the calamari with the mixture. Arrange on serving plates and drizzle with the leftover dressing.
Calamari with chillies and basil
This recipe is adapted from David Thompson's Classic Thai Cuisine. In a mortar (or food processor) coarsely crush together 3-10 small green chillies, 2 long red chillies (deseeded), 4 cloves of garlic, 2 coriander roots and a good pinch of salt. Heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a wok, add the paste, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 6 calamari, cleaned and cut into bite-sized tiles, and 3 banana chillies, cut in half and deseeded. Stir fry for 3 minutes before adding 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, 3 kaffir lime leaves (torn) and 25 fresh Thai basil leaves. Check it is balanced between hot, salty and sweet, adding more chillies, fish sauce or palm sugar if necessary.
Calamari, along with octopuses and cuttlefish, are cephalopod molluscs distinguishable by their bag-like bodies. It's easy to identify the octopus, but the difference between cuttlefish and calamari is more difficult to spot. The cuttlefish has a hard, chalky internal shell called the "cuttlebone"; cockatoos like to sharpen their beaks on these. The calamari's internal shell, however, is transparent, fine and flexible.
Their taste is similar, with the former thicker fleshed and coarser flavoured, but, in a recipe sense, cuttlefish and calamari are almost always interchangeable. The only exception is when a dish calls for stuffing. Here the calamari is indispensable because, with care, its body can be emptied to form a perfectly stuffable tube, while the cuttlefish's cuttlebone, once removed, tears the tube along a seam.
The calamari is also the most highly prized member of the squid family. To spot the difference, look at the two flaps on either side of the body. On the calamari, these flaps will extend down the full length of the tube, while on the arrow squid or pencil squid they end a third to half way down. Once again, the calamari is better eating.
Calamari is good with
Extra virgin olive oil; butter; garlic; onions; chilli; soy sauce; balsamic vinegar; fish sauce; ginger; shallots; spring onions; lime; lemon; tomato; eggplant; zucchini; cucumber; asparagus; beans; peas; all lettuces and leaves especially rocket, iceberg and cos; mayonnaise.
Calamari stuffed with prawns
For four people clean 8 medium-sized calamari, keeping the tentacles. In a saucepan, bring to a simmer a litre of water, 500ml of dry white wine, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Add the calamari, with its tentacles, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the water to drain and cool. In a bowl, mix together 250g of cooked, peeled and chopped prawns, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 2 chopped red chillies, the juice of 2 lemons and 100ml of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Stuff the calamari with the mixture. Arrange on serving plates and drizzle with the leftover dressing.
Calamari with chillies and basil
This recipe is adapted from David Thompson's Classic Thai Cuisine. In a mortar (or food processor) coarsely crush together 3-10 small green chillies, 2 long red chillies (deseeded), 4 cloves of garlic, 2 coriander roots and a good pinch of salt. Heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a wok, add the paste, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 6 calamari, cleaned and cut into bite-sized tiles, and 3 banana chillies, cut in half and deseeded. Stir fry for 3 minutes before adding 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, 3 kaffir lime leaves (torn) and 25 fresh Thai basil leaves. Check it is balanced between hot, salty and sweet, adding more chillies, fish sauce or palm sugar if necessary.