Kalamaria Gemista of the Cyclades (Καλαμάρια Γεμιστά Κυκλάδων)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide shallow baking dish or oval roasting pan, about 30cm
• •wooden toothpicks or kitchen needle
• •box grater for tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the squid

   Check each squid tube with your finger and pull out any bit of clear cartilage the fishmonger missed. Rinse quickly, pat very dry, and set the tubes aside. Chop the tentacles into small pieces, no larger than peas, so they fold neatly into the rice.

2. 2

   Start the filling

   Heat 60ml of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, until soft and sweet but not browned. Stir in the chopped tentacles and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic, tomato paste, and rice. Turn everything for 2 minutes, until the rice is glossy.

3. 3

   Half-cook the rice

   Add 100g of the grated tomato, 100ml of the water or stock, 4g of the salt, and the pepper. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed but the rice is still firm in the center. Take the pan off the heat and fold in 25g of the parsley and all the dill or fennel fronds. Let the filling cool for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Fill the tubes

   Spoon the filling into the squid tubes, filling each one only two-thirds full, then close the opening with a wooden toothpick. This is the step that decides the dish. Rice swells in the oven, and a packed squid splits open before the rice finishes. Leave it room and the tubes stay plump and whole.

   If you have filling left, spoon it around the squid in the baking dish. Don't force it inside.
5. 5

   Bake covered

   Heat the oven to 180C. Lay the stuffed squid in a shallow 30cm baking dish. Pour over the remaining grated tomato, the wine, the remaining 150ml water or stock, the remaining 60ml olive oil, the remaining 4g salt, and the bay leaf. Cover tightly with baking paper and foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the tubes have tightened gently and the rice has had time to drink the pan juices.

6. 6

   Finish uncovered

   Uncover the dish and baste the squid with the sauce. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the pan juices are glossy and reduced and a test grain of rice from one tube is tender. If the pan looks dry before the rice is done, add 3 tablespoons of water around the edges, not over the tops.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the stuffed squid rest for 10 minutes. Remove the toothpicks, spoon the sauce over the top, and finish with the reserved parsley and lemon wedges. Serve warm, not scalding hot, with bread for the oil and wine in the pan.

Chef Tips

• •Choose medium squid, about 12 to 15cm tubes, not the very large ones. Fresh is lovely when it is truly fresh, but frozen cleaned squid is often the more honest buy. Thaw it slowly in the refrigerator and dry it well.
• •Short-grain rice matters here. Long-grain rice stays separate and polite, but this dish wants a tender filling that holds together with the chopped tentacles and herbs.
• •If your tomatoes are not ripe enough to grate and smell good, use canned crushed tomatoes. Sourcing wins. The right method on a poor tomato still gives you a poor sauce.
• •This is naturally dairy-free and egg-free, and it belongs easily on a nistisimo table when oil and wine are permitted. Serve it with horta, bread, and a little skordalia if you want the plate to feel complete.

Advance Preparation

• •Clean the squid and chop the tentacles up to 24 hours ahead; keep them covered in the refrigerator.
• •The rice filling can be made up to 4 hours ahead and chilled. Bring it close to room temperature before stuffing so the squid bakes evenly.
• •The finished dish can rest, covered, for 20 minutes before serving. It is better warm than fiercely hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)