Grilled Stuffed Calamari Recipes

STUFFED CALAMARI ON THE GRILL

Steps:

• Remove the tentacles and clean the calamari, leaving the bodies whole. Set the tentacles aside.
• Place the calamari in an 8-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 1 hour or until quite tender. Drain and cool.
• Make the stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a 10-to 12-inch saute pan until smoking. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until light golden brown, about 30 seconds.
• Add the bread crumbs continue cooking until well mixed.
• Allow to cool then stir in the basil, olives, fresh tomatoes and parsley.
• Preheat the grill or broiler.
• Stuff the cooled calamari with the bread crumb mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the stuffed calamari and tentacles with 1 tablespoon of the oil and grill or broil until nicely charred, about 10 minutes, turning once.
• While the calamari grills, place the tomatoes, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and the chives in a small mixing bowl, and season with salt and pepper Arrange the calamari on a platter top with spoonfuls of the tomatoes, and serve.

STUFFED AND GRILLED CALAMARI APPETIZER

Steps:

• For the filling: Saute leeks in olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add wine, parsley, vinegar, tarragon, salt, chile flakes and lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook until reduced 85 percent, 3 to 5 minutes
• Turn heat to medium and add butter. Let melt, then add prawns. Cook, stirring, until just done, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in breadcrumbs to absorb any remaining liquids and remove from heat.
• Transfer to a bowl and chill completely before stuffing calamari.
• For the calamari: Insert a funnel into the open end of a calamari.
• Fill the funnel about halfway with the filling and push it into the calamari, filling it only three-quarters of the way full, to allow for shrinkage as it cooks. Use a toothpick to skewer the tentacles to the opening of the calamari. Repeat with remaining filling and calamari.
• Preheat a grill or saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the calamari, 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange grilled calamari on a serving dish and serve with warm Roasted Yellow Bell Sauce and sprinkled with Fried Capers.
• Roast pepper on open flame of stovetop burner, turning as outside blackens, until roasted on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove outer burnt skin of pepper, cut into quarters and remove stem and seeds.
• Place pepper in a small food processor.
• Steep garlic in hot cream for 2 minutes, then add to processor. Add butter, parsley, shallot, vinegar, salt and lemon juice and process to make a smooth puree.
• Rinse capers with water, then squeeze with hands to express any juices. Drain very well.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a small saucepan over medium heat. Carefully add capers to hot oil and fry until darkened in color and capers have become crispy, approximately 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

GRILLED SAUSAGE-STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.
• Toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Chop fennel seeds and add to bread-crumb mixture along with pork, garlic, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands until well blended. Using a small spoon, loosely stuff squid with fennel sausage, leaving a 1/2-inch space at top (you may have some stuffing left over). Seal tops using wooden picks.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
• Coat stuffed squid and tentacles with oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Oil grill rack, then grill stuffed squid, turning frequently, until golden in spots and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filling registers 150 to 155°F, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill tentacles until opaque and curled, about 1 minute, then add to platter. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with parsley.
• What to drink:
• Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano '07

GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI 'SUSHI' WITH BLACK BEAN AIOLI

Steps:

• Pre-heat a grill very hot. In a skillet coat lightly with oil and on high heat, saute the pepper and lapchong until soft, about 4 minutes. Fold in rice and add the scallions, cilantro and oyster sauce. Season and check. Stuff the squid tubes using a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off. Oil the grill and season the tubes with salt and chile. Mark the tubes, and roll them around so that all sides cook evenly, about 5 minutes total. Be careful not to overcook the squid as it will get tough. Let rest 1 minute then slice into one inch pieces, like sushi.
• Saute garlic, chiles, black beans and ginger until soft. Deglaze with vinegar and reduce by 80%. Let cool completely. In a food processor, add mixture with yolks. While processor is on, drizzle in oil, slowly at first until it emulsifies, then more quickly. Check for seasoning. Store in refrigerator.
• PLATING Fill a small dish with the aioli and arrange the 'sushi' around the dish.