Garlic and Herb Crumbed Calamari with Savoury Rice

W4DINNER

Be sure to make plenty because this calamari may not even make it to the table!

Ingredients

• 50 gram Fresh chives, finely chopped
• 250 gram Button mushrooms, sliced
• Oil, for frying
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 sachet KNORR Garlic & Herb Potato Bake
• 90 millilitre Cake flour
• 400 gram Package frozen calamari rings
• 2 Cups Rice, boiled and drained
• 1 Tin lentils, drained

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or pot.
2. In a bowl mix together the cake flour and KNORR Garlic & Herb Potato Bake.
3. Dip calamari rings into the egg first and then into the flour mixture.
4. Lightly fry the calamari until the crumbing is lightly golden brown.
5. Remove calamari from oil and allow to drain on paper towel.
6. To prepare the rice sauté the mushrooms and chives in a pan until cooked then stir this together with the lentils into the cooked rice.
7. Serve the calamari rings with the rice and a side salad.

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Marileen Naude Die klapper gee dit ‘n baie lekker variasie:
600-700g calamari ringe
250ml vars wit broodkrummels
Olie vir braai
2 eiers, geklits met bietjie melk
125ml klapper
250ml meel / chilli bite mix
Meng broodkrummels en klapper
‘Pat’ calamari ringe droog en geur met sout/peper
Doop ringe in meel, dan eiermengsel, en dan broodkrummels
Vlakbraai in olie tot goudkleur
Dreineer op kombuispapier

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Rowan Fitzgerald Greek calamari with lemon, garlic & olive oil. Put 500g calamari rings in a dish, squeeze juice of 1 lrg lemon over, mix & leave for 5 mins. Drain remaining juice. Heat 75ml olive oil in solid frying pan, add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic & grated lemon zest from squeezed lemon cooking slowly until pan gets really hot. Add calamari and stir-fry for 1-2 mins until it colours at the edges. Add 2 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, salt & pepper. Serve immediately with juices from pan with green salad & warm pita bread to mop up the juices. TRULY delicious! I

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Magda Labuschagne ‘n Tannie van my het altyd jare gelede  die calamari eers met koeksoda gestrooi en laat le. Dan goed gespoel. Gese dis om dit sag te maak.

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Anita Coetzee Ek marineer die calamari steak strips in “meattenderizer” en melk vir NIE langer as 30 min . Dan rol ek dit in meel , geklitste eier en melk , dan in gegegeurde meel ( meel , paprika , vis speserye en bietjie “crushed garlic ) dan dadelik diepvet braai in olie . Dit kan ook n bietjie staan sonder om taai te word , maak dit gewoonlik so vir ons kliente en hulle is mal daaroor !! Probeer dit gerus

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Rowan Fitzgerald Using calamari steaks cut into strips is a lovely, tender alternative to using rings.

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Runé Le Roux Hugo Ek braai my calamari in 1E botter, 1E olyfolie met cajun spice na smaak. Of ek maak gevulde calamari tubes, vul dit met roomspinasie.

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Runé Le Roux Hugo ‘n halfuur in melk  is genoeg, maar as ek myne uit die vrieskas haal, gooi ek dit in melk en laat dit in die melk ontdooi.

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Dorethea Roman Ek gooi in my deeg, meel, paprika en aromat! Dis al!braai in diep olie!Glo my dis heerlik sag!

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Marileen Naude Ek laat le dit gewoonlik in melk vir ‘n halfuur  om dit sagter te kry. Jy kan ook karringmelk of amazi gebruik.

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CALAMARI IN BATTER

500 g calamari juice of half a lemon

Cooking oil for deep frying

Batter:

125 ml cake flour

10 ml mustard powder

5 ml salt

1 egg, beaten

75 ml milk

30 ml lemon juice

Clean calamari, rinse under running cold water. Slice and marinate for 1 hour in lemon juice. Drain and dry thoroughly. Dip calamari slices in batter and deep-fry in heated cooking oil until crisp, golden-brown and cooked. Be careful not to overload the deepfat fryer as it will cool off the oil too rapidly and the calamari might become soggy. Drain calamari on paper towel and serve immediately.

Batter:

Sift flour, salt and mustard together. Make a well in the flour. Beat egg and half the milk together and add to the flour. Add remaining milk if necessary (the batter should be slightly thicker than a pancake batter). Stir in lemon juice and leave to stand at least 30 min before using. Serves 4-6

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ROOM CALAMARI 

500 g calamari

250 ml room

125 ml sweet chilli sous

bietjie knoffel

sout en peper na smaak

Meng room, chilli sous en knoffel in ‘n kastrol op die stoof. Laat prut. Gooi calamari by en prut vir 5 minute. Bedien op rys.

CALAMARI STEAKS

Marinade sousie:

Half koppie appelasyn

Bietjie fyn gemmer

Vars knoffel of knoffelsout

5ml Mixed herbs

50ml Olyfolie

5 teelepels suurlemoensap

30ml Worcestersous/soya sous

Sit die calamari steaks in ‘n ziploc sakkie en gooi die marinade sousie in. Laat marineer vir so halfuur tot 2ure.

In ‘n warm pan, gooi olyfolie en 2 eetlepels margarien. Braai die steaks vir 2-3 minute aan ‘n kant. Skep steaks uit. Gooi orige marinade by die pan en bring tot kookpunt. Gooi vars room by as jy ‘n roomsousie verkies en bring tot kookpunt. Gooi oor steaks en eet dadelik. Word taai en proe soos rubber as dit te lank staan of te lank aan ‘n kant gebraai is.

 STUFFED CALAMARI – STEP BY STEP

The word calamari is the plural form of the Italian word for squid, calamaro.

Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world because almost the entire body of the squid can be eaten.
Many people in North American have only eaten calamari that have been cut into rings, batter-coated, and deep
fried.  But squid lends itself to many other cooking methods, one of them being stuffed and baked.  Calamari
meat is firm and white with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.  Many people believe that calamari is ‘as tough as
rubber bands’ but when properly prepared it is a surprisingly tender and delicious seafood dish.

STEP 1  

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

By Hai Nguyen: http://www.easy-recipes-online.com/stuffed-calamari-recipe.html

Total time: 1 h 30 min

Ingredients (4 servings):

frozen calamari or squid (about 400 g)
ground pork (about 450 g)
1/2 onion
1 cup dried black mushrooms
1 clove garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons of soy sauce
green onions (optional)
olive oil
some thread and needle
toothpick

Method:

Preparation stage 1 h before starting the stuffed calamari recipe: (1) soak the dried black mushrooms in a small bowl of water; (2) leave the ground pork in a large bowl and the calamari on a plate at room temperature to unthaw.

Part 1 (10 min)
Soak the frozen calamari in warm water and put them on a plate (1). Gather 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper (2). Dice the onions (3). Dump the water from the bowl with the black mushrooms and cut the black mushrooms with a pair of scissors (4). Add the black mushrooms, salt, sugar, pepper and diced onions to the bowl of ground pork (5) and then mix (6).

Part 2 (30 min)
Wash your hands and dry them on a clean paper towel (do not dry your hands on a used cloth). Thread a needle (if you don’t know how to do this, click here for a guide with pictures). Have a pair of scissors handy. With one hand, squeeze the calamari gently so there is a hole at the top (1). Simply use your other hand to stuff the pork mix into the calamari (2). Sew the opening so the stuffing stays inside when you will be cooking it later (3 to 7). You can also view the video right below if you’re not sure how to sew it. Take the scissors and snip off the thread (8). Repeat this with all of the calamari’s. Take a toothpick and poke holes in the stuffed calamari on both sides (tip: this is to let the steam escape when you will cook them so it’s best to poke as many holes as possible) (9).

Part 3 (30 min)

Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan (1) and turn the heat up to medium (2). Dice 1 clove of garlic (3) and throw it in the frying pan (4). With a pair of tongs, place the stuffed calamari in the frying pan (5). Let them cook for about 5 min on one side (6) and then turn them over (7). You may choose to poke more holes in the calamari at this point if the meat stuffing is starting to come out. Caution, hot juices from inside may spill out when you poke more holes, so stay far away and make sure you wear an apron. In a small bowl, mix 3 teaspoons of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add this mixture to the calamari in the frying pan (8). Add 1/2 cup of water to the frying pan, cover and let it simmer over medium heat (9) for 15 min. Every 5 min, use the tongs and turn the calamari over so both sides are cooked evenly.

Part 4 (20 min)

Add the green onions and let them cook for 2 min (optional). Use the tongs and place transfer the cooked stuffed calamari in a plate or bowl (1). Let them cool down for 15 min (2). With washed hands, take out the thread once they’ve cooled (3).

Calamari Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms, Bread, and Cheese
(Serves 2)

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup cubed Italian bread
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper
500gr  squid  (bodies only)

Traditional tomato sauce
Additional Parmesan for sprinkling
Soak porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes.
Rinse and chop coarsely.
Sauté onions in olive oil until soft, 2-3 minutes.
Combine all of the ingredients, except the squid and tomato sauce, in a bowl.  Mix well.
Stuff the mixture into the squid.  Do not overfill or they will burst during cooking.
Close the end of the squid with a toothpick.
Pour a little of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Place the stuffed squid on top.  Pour a little more sauce over each.
Cover and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.
Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Calamari Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Pine Nuts, and Raisins
(Serves 4)

12 medium-sized squid
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and chpped
1/4 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water for 30 minutes, chopped
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs
2 cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Clean the squid by removing the head, fins, and all contents in the body.
Peel off the skin and rinse the tubes.
Remove the tentacles from the head.
Chop the tentacles fine and set aside for the stuffing.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the chopped tentacles.
Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, anchovies, capers, pine nuts, raisins, 1/2 cup parsley and eggs.
Add the tentacle mixture.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Stuff the squid tubes with the mixture and seal each with a toothpick.
Place the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the stuffed squid and brown on all sides.
Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.
Remove the toothpicks.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with remaining parsley.

Cheese-Stuffed Calamari
(Serves 8)

8 large squid, cleaned, tentacles reserved
500gr ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups Traditional Tomato Sauce
Preheat oven to 180 C
Place the tentacles in a saucepan with enough water to cover them.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
Drain the tentacles and allow to cool.  Finely chop the cooled tentacles.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, pecorino, parsley, and cooked tentacles.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the cheese mixture into each of the squid bodies.
Seal each opening with a toothpick.
Season the dredging flour with salt and pepper.
Coat each stuffed squid with the flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute the squid until they are golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Remove the squid from the skillet and transfer them to a roasting pan.
Drain the oil from the skillet and return it to the heat.
Add the white wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any brown bits.
Continue cooking until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the tomato sauce and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the tomato sauce over the squid in the roasting pan.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until fork tender.
Remove the toothpicks.
Transfer to a platter and serve.

Seafood-Stuffed Calamari
(Serves 10 as an appetizer)

1-1/4 cups olive oil, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
500gr  scallops, chopped
500gr  small shrimp, shells removed
Salt and pepper
10 large squid, tentacles removed and chopped
1-1/2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large skillet.
Add half the shallots and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the scallops, shrimp, salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the seafood with a slotted spoon to a bowl to cool.
Add the chopped tentacles to the skillet and sauté until pink, 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the tentacles with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the scallops and shrimp.
Reserve the liquid in the skillet.
In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup olive oil, parsley, and 1 teaspoon garlic.
Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well to combine.
Add the cooked seafood to the bread crumbs and stir to combine.
If the mixture seems too dry add a little more oil.
Stuff each squid body with the seafood mixture and seal each end with a toothpick.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet.
Add 2 tablespoons garlic, remaining shallots, and red pepper flakes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Saute over medium heat until the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the reserved seafood liquid from the skillet and wine.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the stuffed squid and cook 7 to 8 minutes, basting often, until tender.
Remove the toothpicks.
Transfer the squid to a platter, pour the sauce over, and serve.

Rice-Stuffed Calamari
(Serves 4)

Tomato Sauce:
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

Squid:
750gr  small to medium squid
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
Pinch of saffron
Pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
To make the sauce:
Put the tomatoes, wine, parsley, and sugar in a saucepan.
Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer to desired consistency.
To make the stuffing:
Clean the by removing the head and tentacles.
Pull out the quill and rinse the bodies.
Finely chop the tentacles and set aside with the squid bodies.
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Add the onion, fennel, and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes until tender.
Add the rice, saffron, red pepper flakes, and chopped tentacles.
Cook a few minutes , stirring often, until the tentacles are opaque.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the white wine and 6 tablespoons of the tomato sauce.
Cook until the wine and tomato sauce has reduced into the rice.
Add 1/2 cup water and continue cooking until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Add the parsley and cool for a few minutes.
Stuff the squid with the filling.
Seal the ends with toothpicks.
Add 1/2 cup of water to the remaining tomato sauce.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the stuffed squid, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 30-45 minutes until soft and tender.
Remove the toothpicks before serving.