Stewed squid

This stewed squid brings flavours of the Mediterranean.  It makes an excellent tapas dish, starter or supper dish.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 2 Hrs

Total Time: 2½ Hrs

Ingredients

4                    Squid  - small         

½                   Lemon  - juice of      

                      Pepper  - black        

                      Salt          

2 tbs               Olive oil    

1                    Onion  - sliced thinly 

1                    Tomatoes  - cut up roughly     

1 sprig            Marjoram   

1 sprig            Thyme      

2 cloves           Garlic  - crushed      

70 ml              Wine  - red 

½ tbs             Tomato purée         

230 ml             Water  - hot

Method

Cut off the squid’s tentacles and cut off the large body just below the head.  Discard both head and the transparent bone blade.  Place squid with their tentacles in warm water: this makes removing the outer skin easier.  Give a final rinse in cold water.  Slice the body pieces into thin rounds.  Spread them out over a shallow dish with the tentacles.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice, add a light seasoning of salt and a generous one of black pepper.

Heat the oil in a thick pan.   Add the onion and fry slowly until golden and almost soft.  Add the tomatoes, marjoram, thyme and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the wine, simmer for 5 minutes, stir in the tomato purée, pour in the hot water, stir well, cover and simmer extremely gently until the rings and tentacles are tender - approximately 1½ - 2 hours.

When the squid is tender, turn up the heat to a strong rolling boil to reduce and thicken the pan

liquor.  Tip into a bowl.

Serve up on mounds of rice in individual warmed soup plates.

Wine recommendations

A white wine or a very dry Sherry.

Conventional

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

Interesting

     Côtes de Gascogne blanc

     Jurançon sec

Adventurous

     Crémant de Loire

     Manzanilla Sherry