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~ Living & Cooking in France

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Tag Archives: Calamari

Spicy seafood pasta

04 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Nadia in General, Seafood

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

bucatini, Calamari, crab, mussels, Pasta, Seafood, shrimp, spicy

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As you may have read Nadia has just gone through carpal tunnel surgery on her left hand so this is Stuart, her husband and trusty assistant, with my first guest blog post.  I don’t know how many of these I will do but it might be interesting for some and maybe especially for anyone who isn’t the primary cook in the household.  I always try and help prep things but Nadia is in charge.  I will give my opinions from the viewpoint of someone who doesn’t do this often other than helping.

This recipe is inspired from a Jamie Oliver recipe.  I needed something to work from but it also has a few changes and my insights.

This recipe is just for two people so you can adjust it accordingly.  I went and did the shopping and managed to get the correct items using my best French.

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The recipe includes crab meat but we really didn’t think that it added anything to the dish.  In my opinion you either should leave it out or add quite a bit more to make sure that you can really taste it.

The bucatini seems to be a really good match for this dish so I think it is well worth making sure you get this pasta.


Serves 2

Sauce (this might make a bit more sauce than some people would like)
Ingredients:

1 800g / 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan
Saute garlic for 30 seconds
Add tomatoes
Bring to a boil then cover, simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens up (about 45-60 mins)

Main dish

Here are the main ingredients ready to get started:

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Ingredients:

200g / 7oz crab meat (cooked)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (to taste)
250g / 9oz mussels
150g / 5.5oz calamari/squid
200g / 7oz shrimp
bucatini (85g / 3oz pp uncooked)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

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Preparation:

You should have already prepared the sauce since that takes time (see above)
Clean and beard the mussels
We had a whole squid so you remove the head and discard.  Clean the remainder thoroughly and cut into small rings.
Use a large sauce pan with plenty of water.  Heat it until boiling then add the bucatini.  Let it boil for about 8 minutes until it is al dente.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready heat uncovered the butter, crushed garlic and oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan
Add the shrimp, crab meat, calamari/squid and mussels
Cook them all on high heat, with a lid on the pan, shaking once or twice for about 4 minutes (all mussels should be opened)
Add the tomato sauce into the seafood
Strain the bucatini and add to the pan with the seafood and sauce
Stir everything up well
Sprinkle with some parsley and oregano
Enjoy!

 

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Calamari and chorizo with aïoli

05 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by Nadia in General, Seafood, Stews

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

aioli, Calamari, fiesta fridays, potatoes, Seafood, squid, stew, tomatoes

img_8768So many people have memories of overcooked, over-chewy calamari, a bit like rubber. But fresh or good quality frozen squid, cooked either very quickly or very slowly, is melt in the mouth tender. The in-between area is where things get very tough and rubbery.  The long and slow cooking in this recipe is certainly worth it for a very tender and delicious result. It is a one pot meal and all it needs is some warm, crusty bread to mop all the juices up with. A dish to be enjoyed in summer as well as winter with a glass of cool white wine.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

220 g / 8 oz chorizo, skin removed and sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
Thyme, a few sprigs, leaves only
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
125 ml / 1/2 cup dry white wine
450 g / 1 lb cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
500 g / 1 lb 2 oz calamari tubes, cut into rings
450 g / 1 lb baby new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces
Parsley, fresh, about a handful, roughly chopped
1 lemon, cut into quarters, to serve
aïoli
1 garlic clove, crushed
5 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Smoked paprika, as garnish

Preparation:

Heat a large sauté pan or pot over medium high heat, do not add oil
Add the chorizo and cook for about 2 minutes
Add the onion and thyme and cook another 2 to 3 minutes
Add the paprika, wine and tomatoes
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes
Add the calamari, make sure it is well nestled in the juice, cover and simmer for 45 minutes
Add the potatoes and cook another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender
Meanwhile prepare the aïoli
Mix the garlic, mayonnaise and lemon juice
Sprinkle with paprika and set aside
Test the calamari, it should be so tender that you can cut it with a spoon
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley
Serve immediately with the aïoli, a piece of lemon and warm crusty bread
Enjoy!

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Fried Calamari

24 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Nadia in Appetizers, General, Seafood

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Calamari

IMG_1599This is a very popular Italian way of preparing calamari or squid. You can use the whole calamari, tentacles, and bodies or just the tubes cut into rings. This is usually served as a starter with spicy marinara sauce but you could just as well use a sauce tartare. This way of preparing calamari really showcases the seafood itself as it does not have the thick batter often found with deep fried calamari in restaurants. Best of all, it is a really very easy. If you do not have a thermometer to test the oil temperature, no problem – use a piece of bread. My Italian grandmother taught me this trick and I still use it to this day. Drop a small piece of bread into the hot oil, if it sinks then the oil is too cold, if it turns black and burns immediately, the oil is too hot, but if it sizzles slowly and happily, your oil is just right.

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Serves 6 as a starter

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil for deep frying
450 g / 1 pound clean squid, cut into 1 cm / 1/2 inch thick rings
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, add oil
Heat over medium high heat to 180 C / 35o F
In a large bowl, mix the flour, parsley, salt and pepper
Toss the squid into the flour to coat
Work in batches
Place the squid into the oil and fry until crisp and pale golden, about 3 minutes per batch
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain
Continue until all cooked
Serve with the lemon wedges and your sauce of choice
Enjoy!

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