serves
4
prep
40 minutes
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
40
minutes
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 8 baby calamari, cleaned
- 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
- 4 onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 220 g (1 cup) arborio rice
- 100 ml Pedro Ximenez sherry
- 250 ml (1 cup) sweet white wine
- 2 tsp squid ink
- 500 ml (2 cups) fish stock
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 40 g butter
- 2 sheets fried nori, torn (see Note)
Stuffing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large fresh chorizo, skin removed, cut into small dice
- 2 cuttlefish, cleaned and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 30 g (½ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
- 95 g (½ cup) cooked short grain rice
- pinch of sweet smoked paprika
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Serve as a starter or as part of a tapas spread.
Instructions
To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat and cook the chorizo for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the cuttlefish, parsley and chilli and toss to combine. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well.
Spoon the stuffing into the baby calamari, taking care not to over-fill them, then secure the ends with toothpicks. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted and slightly translucent. Increase the heat to high, then add the sherry and wine and stir until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Add the squid ink and a ladle full of fish stock, then reduce the temperature to low and cook, stirring often, until all the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time and allowing it be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is almost al dente. Season with nutmeg, then stir in the butter.
Nestle the stuffed calamari into the rice so that it is completely covered and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the calamari is just cooked, the stuffing is warm and the rice is al dente. Remove the calamari from the rice, remove the skewers, and place in a shallow bowl. Spoon over the rice, scatter with shards of fried nori and serve immediately.
Note
• To fry the nori sheets, heat 5 mm vegetable oil in a frying pan over high heat. Tear the nori sheets into quarters, then shallow fry on both sides for 30 seconds or just until crisp. Drain on absorbent paper, stand until cool, then tear into shards.
Visit program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our .
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
