Baby Squid Stuffed with Fennel and Pine Nuts in a Tomato and Roasted Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

Contains: milk, wheat, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 6 baby squid
• 3 shallots
• 1 small fennel
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/2oz pine nuts
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 25g/1oz pecorino
• 1 tsp ouzo
• ½ glass white wine
• juice of ½ lemon
• 25g/1oz breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp chopped basil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots
• 5 ripe vine tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 100g/3½oz passata
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• ½ glass red wine
• salt and pepper
• leaves, to garnish basil

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Wrap the 6 unpeeled garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of the first tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 20 minutes until soft. Squeeze the pulp out and set aside.

2. Melt 25g (1oz) of the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the finely chopped fennel and 3 chopped shallots and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft.

3. Add the pine nuts and toast for 2 minutes. Pour in the half glass of white wine and let it bubble off, then tip everything into a bowl and cool slightly.

4. Stir in the breadcrumbs, grated pecorino, chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, the ouzo, lemon juice, salt and pepper until the stuffing holds together.

5. Clean the baby squid, pull out the tentacles and chop them finely. Loosely fill each squid body about two-thirds full with stuffing and secure the openings with cocktail sticks.

6. Heat the second tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining 25g (1oz) butter in a wide pan. Soften the 3 finely chopped shallots for 5 minutes, then add the chopped tentacles and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the roasted garlic pulp, tomatoes, caster sugar, red wine vinegar, passata, tomato purée and half glass of red wine. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

8. Lay the stuffed squid in the sauce, cover and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the flesh is opaque and cooked through (145°F / 63°C). Remove the cocktail sticks, scatter with the remaining basil leaves and serve.