Stuffed squid
Learn how to make an Italian style delicious stuffed squid
Stuffed squid is very popular in Mediterranean. It offers a delightful combination of tender squid and simple but flavorful filling. As it happens with many traditional recipes, this one too can be used for multiple purposes.
The classic recipe for squid stuffing is made with bread, olives, capers and parsley and you can also use the tentacles. Some add eggs to act as binder.
Let’s explore together everything you need to know about making stuffed squid at home.
Stuffed squid: choosing the right squid
In Italy it’s easy to find both squid and “totani“. The main difference between those two is the size. A totano is simply a small squid. The taste is a bit stronger, whereas squid is usually more subtle. This recipe is prefect with totani, mainly because they’re tastier and you can use a single small squid as portion. They are also much cheaper than squid.
No matter which one you choose, it’s always important to pick fresh, high-quality seafood. Look for firm, shiny flesh with a mild sea scent. If using frozen squid, ensure it is fully thawed before cooking. Small to medium-sized squid (about 4-6 inches in length) are ideal for stuffing, as they are tender and easy to handle.
How to prepare the squid
- Cleaning: If your fishmonger cannot clean the squid for you, cleaning the squid is very simple. To remove the tentacles and the innards, use your kitchen scissors to cut inside the tube the point where the innards are attached. Then pull firmly the tentacles to detach the tube.Peel off the outer skin if desired. Remove the eyes on the top of the tentacles. (to see how to clean squid you can take a look at this video).
- Tentacles: Chop the tentacles finely and set them aside to add to the stuffing.
- Pat Dry: Ensure the squid tubes are dry before stuffing to prevent excess moisture. Use a paper towel to pad dry the inside and remove any residue.
Stuffed squid: Ingredients for the filling
Stuffed squid can be prepared with a variety of fillings, but a very classing filling for Italian stuffed squid is usually made of bread, parsley, olives and capers.
Olives and capers: you can use the one you prefer, green or black they’re both good. I prefer the green ones because they give a fresher taste to the filling. Capers are prefect for this recipe. When you use salted capers you can also reduce the amount of salt, thanks to the delicate saltiness of the capers. Good quality capers in Italy comes from islands Pantelleria, at the very south. But you can find good quality capers everywhere in Europe.
Tentacles: the squid tentacles are perfect for giving more volume to the stuffing. And also a lot of taste too.
Bread or breadcrumbs: if you have stale bread this is the perfect way to avoid waste. You can soak the bread in water or milk for 15 minutes before adding it to the filling.
How to stuff and cook the squid
- Stuff the squid: You can use a small spoon to carefully fill each squid tube, leaving a little room at the top to prevent bursting when cooking. Make sure the inside of the tube is well cleaned and dry before adding the filling. Taste the filling before stuffing the squid to check for saltiness.
- Close the squid: To close the openings of the squid you can use simple toothpick. If you have bamboo skewers it will still be ok. You can break a longer skewer in to small pieces to close each squid.
- Cooking: Stuffed squid should be simmered gently on low heat for around 20/25min. covered with a lid. You can prepare this recipe with or without tomato sauce. Check the squid after 15/18 minutes. If it’s tender, you can turn off the heat and let it cook a bit longer with the residual heat in the pan.
One recipe, two dishes: make pasta with leftovers
Stuffed squid pairs beautifully with a simple side salad and some homemade bread, but if you have some leftovers, you can turn the sauce and filling into a super delicious pasta dish. When you prepare this dish I recommend using more tomato sauce to make it soupier. The sauce the remains in the pan, can be reheated (you can add some water if it’s too dry or add a bit of tomato passata), and used as a seasoning for pasta.
Tips for making the perfect squid
- Don’t overfill the squid, as it can shrink while cooking and cause the stuffing to spill out.
- to prevent the squid from becoming tough and rubbery.
Stuffed squid is a show-stopping dish that’s easier to prepare than you might think. And you can prepare it ahead of time and enjoy it when you want. With a bit of practice you’ll be serving up restaurant-quality seafood right in your own kitchen!
Want to make this recipe GLUTEN FREE? Use gluten free oats or breadcrumbs instead of regular bread.
Stuffed squid
Ingredients
- 800 gr squid
- 500 ml tomato passata
- 200 gr of breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olives
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and pepper
- 50 ml white wine
- pinch of chili flakes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Clean the squid and chop the tentacles finely.
- Chop the olives, capers and half of the parsley.
- In a pan heat the olive oil with the garlic and chili flakes. Add the tentacles, olives and capers and cook for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl mix the breadcrumbs (or the stale bread you have soaked and drained), salt and pepper and the parsley. Then add the tentacles and mix well.
- Check the saltiness of the filling before starting to stuff the squid. Close the squid with a wooden skewer.
- Stuff each squid and be careful to leave some space to avoid bursting during cooking.
- Re-heat the pan where you cooked the tentacles and add some oil, then add the stuffed squid and cook for a minute until the bottom start to turn to a light golden color.
- Add the wine and let it evaporate. When you cannot smell the wine any longer, add the tomato passata,a pinch of salt and pepper. Then cover and cook for 20/25 on low heat.
- When they're done, leave it to rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
