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Main: Calamari Filled w/ Ricotta & Herbs

Source of Recipe

www.ericademane.com


Recipe Introduction

" Squid isn't a traditional Italian Easter dish, but it's sweet and tender in the spring, and I find it makes a great stand-in for the lamb that most of my friends (though not me) seem to feel sad about eating nowadays. Sweet wine does wonders for squid, underscoring the fish's own sweetness and providing a luscious sauce. A Sicilian Moscato from Pantelleria or a Muscat Beaumes de Venise from France are both excellent choices, but any type of fruity white dessert wine will taste fine. Plain rice or couscous is a good accompaniment too."

List of Ingredients

(Serves 4 as a main course)
Salt
2 pounds relatively large squid (larger ones are easier to stuff), cleaned and the body and tentacles left whole
1 cup whole-milk ricotta, sheep's-milk if available, drained in a colander for about 20 minutes (you want to get rid of excess liquid for this recipe so it doesn't ooze out of the squid during cooking)
1 large egg
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, the leaves chopped, plus a handful of whole leaves for garnish
A few sprigs of marjoram, the leaves chopped
1 tablespoon grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
A handful of toothpicks
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled but lightly smashed with the side of a knife
A large wineglass of Malvasia, or another sweet wine such as a Muscat Beaumes de Venise
A strip of lemon peel
A small handful of green olives (I used Picholines, from France)


Recipe

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Add the squid and blanch it for about a minute. Scoop it out of the water with a large strainer and into a colander. Run the squid under cold water and then let it drain on paper towels. (Blanching firms up the squid, making it much easily to fill.)

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, marjoram, Grana Padano or Parmigiano, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix everything together. Fill the squid about halfway with the ricotta mixture (using a small spoon makes this easier). Close each piece with toothpicks. Wipe any ricotta off the outside of the squid.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed squid and tentacles and the garlic cloves, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the squid is golden on one side. Turn the squid to sauté on the other side. Add the sweet wine and the lemon peel, lower the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer until the squid is very tender, about 35 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.

When the squid is tender remove it from the skillet to a serving platter. Scatter the olives around it. Boil the skillet's cooking liquid down for about a minute, just to intensify its flavor. You want to wind up with about 1/2 cup of liquid. Pour the sauce over the squid through a fine-mesh strainer. Garnish with the whole parsley leaves. Serve hot.