French cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Calamari Sétoise-Style

Squid tubes filled with a savory rice and herb stuffing and braised in a spicy tomato sauce from Sète.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 squid tubes (about 12 cm each)
• 100 g long-grain rice
• 2 onions
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 tsp Espelette pepper (or mild chili powder)
• 1 sprig thyme
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the squid tubes inside and out, remove the fins and any tentacles and chop them finely; parboil the rice in salted water for 8 min. and drain.
2. Finely dice one onion and 3 garlic cloves, sauté in 2 tbsp olive oil for 4 min. until translucent, add the chopped squid and fry for 3 min.
3. Mix the mixture with the parboiled rice, half the chopped parsley, the Espelette pepper, salt and pepper and let it cool.
4. Fill the tubes only two thirds full with the stuffing - the rice will swell further while braising - and close the opening with a toothpick.
5. Sauté the remaining onion and garlic in the rest of the olive oil, stir in the tomato paste for 1 min., deglaze with white wine, add the canned tomatoes and thyme and reduce for 5 min.
6. Place the stuffed tubes in the sauce and braise covered over low heat for 40-45 min. until they can be pierced easily with a fork; serve scattered with the remaining parsley.